Advanced/Professional development course in Sport and exercise for youth with disabilities

The primary objective of this course is to train professionals who can promote and encourage sport and physical activity in young people with disabilities aged 6-20. By the end of the course, participants will be able to organise and conduct sport and exercise activities intended to allow disabled young people to use their limited motor abilities well, optimise psychological and physical development, and maintain an active lifestyle. These practical skills will be conceptualised within a holistic, systemic framework with the primary goal of all these actions being to integrate people with disabilities.
In addition to the theoretical, technical and practical skills required to create sports and physical activities suitable for all kinds of disabilities in different stages of development, course participants will learn to take on a representative role for schools, associations or management for adapted physical activities, and will suggest innovative ideas for integration to sports associations and local authorities.
The course is organised in a blended way, with classroom and gym activities integrated with online course work. Practical activities are carried out in small groups, and the entire training programme, which is subdivided into topics, culminates in writing a project proposal (project work). The practical value of the course’s training programme is favoured by close collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee and the Volunteers Association for physical disabilities (Special Olympic Italia), with whom the course is developed, implemented and conducted. Participants should have basic computer and email skills.