Adapted Physical Activity Is One of the Main Factors for the Mental and Physical Development of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs

One of the main factors for the mental and the physical development of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is movement activity and sports. They have a positive impact as a result of the systematic application of specialized physical exercises. The effectiveness of the Methodology for adapted physical activity for children and young people with SEN has been proven. The purpose of the study is to prove the effectiveness of the methodology for adapted physical activity in children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). The methodology includes a complex of mental and physical exercises applied in the training of children and young people with SEN. The exercises are related to the development of concentration and switching of attention, psychomotor skills, emotional stability, emotional state and creativity. The effectiveness of the methodology has been verified through measurements carried out during ten-day summer sports camps in Greece Korelko 2019; Bulgaria, Kamchia Sports Rehabilitation Complex 2020 and Nessebar 2021 at the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy camp. After mathematical and statistical processing, the obtained results show that the applied Methodology is effective. Mental development indicators have significantly and reliably improved and achievements in international competitions have been achieved by children and young people from the Federation for Adapted Physical Activity Bulgaria (FAPA). Twenty-one children and young people with SEN participated in the scientific study. As a result of the systematically applied methodology, the number of medals won from international competitions from 2019 to 2021 increased four times.