Educational and Athletic Development of a Learner with Intellectual Disability and Microcephaly: Stakeholders’ Perspective

This case study explores the academic and athletic journey of a learner with a learning disability and microcephaly within an inclusive education setting in the Philippines. Employing a qualitative, thematic analysis approach, the study investigates the challenges encountered by the learner, the coping mechanisms employed, and the multi-tiered strategies and interventions implemented by key stakeholders, including parents, special education teachers, and sports coaches. Findings reveal four core challenges: Academic Challenges Due to Cognitive and Executive Functioning Limitations, Emotional and Psychological, Social Behavioral, and Physical and Motor. In response, the learner benefited from a diverse set of coping strategies such as structured learning support, therapeutic interventions, personal motivation, and technological aids. Furthermore, the implementation of individualized, inclusive, and collaborative approaches fostered both academic progress and sports participation. Five major themes emerged to encapsulate the interventions: Holistic and Emotional Support Systems, Inclusive Physical Development and Sports Participation, Collaborative and Evaluative Practices, Social and Behavioral Integration, and Adaptive and Individualized Instructional Approaches. Anchored in developmental and pedagogical theories, these findings underscore the importance of a whole-child, ecosystemic model in inclusive education. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on inclusive practices in the Global South, highlighting the need for sustained teacher training, intersectoral collaboration, and policy reform to ensure meaningful participation and success of learners with complex developmental needs.