Scholarly record

METHODS TO ASSESS THE SKILLS SPECIFIC FOR THE SWIMMING ACQUIRED BY THE CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME

Valeria Balan

Abstract

Background Assessment is an element appearing in any training-educational process. It enables to measure the level of reach of the educational process goals, as well as to adopt decisions leading to the increase of the effectiveness of the relevant activity. Assessment of the child with Down syndrome requires more focus from the assessor because such child has several disabilities at psychic-motor level which directly affect anything the child does, including the level of acquiring the elements taught and time spent to learn the taught content. Methods This study aims to assess the level of acquiring motor skills special for crawl swimming procedure presented by three children with Down syndrome. At the date of carrying out this research, children practiced swimming for 10 months already. It must be recalled that teaching was made individually during the first 6 to 10 classes (according to the time spent by the child with Down syndrome to overcome the fear of water and to familiarize with the water), subsequently all the three subjects being included in a swimming group made of children with Down syndrome. During the 10 months, the number of classes attended by each of the three subjects was the same. The level of assimilating crawl swimming techniques was assessed based on the progress indexes proposed by Special Olympics International (2004), as adjusted and changed by us in order to ensure a better assessment of the skills taught. The assessment items have envisaged the following skills: stand on pool edge and kicking water by the feet, crawl specific feet kicking, crawl feet kicking in movement with the arms supported on the raft, attempt to swim crawl style, swimming crawl style continuously for 15m. Assessment was carried out by using the following scoring grid-paper: athlete can not execute the kickoff (1 point), athlete executes rarely the kickoff (2 points), athlete executes frequently the motor kickoff (3 points). Assessment of the progress started since the first swimming class and continued during the course teaching the aforementioned motor skills. Scoring was carried out once at six classes, based on the active observation intended to collect accurate and objective data. Results The results obtained are part of a research which is achieved and published under the aegis of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Bucharest, as a partner of the programme co-funded by the European Social Fund within the Operational Sectorial Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013 through the project Multi- and interdisciplinary in doctoral and post-doctoral programmes Project Code: POSDRU/159/1.5/S/141086, its main beneficiary being the Research Institute for Quality of Life, Romanian Academy. Conclusions Assessment is part of any activity. The information gathered based on the assessments carried out helped us to continuously adapt the taught content to the physical and motric abilities of the children with Down syndrome and to change the teaching method in order to reach the aimed goal: teaching the crawl swimming style. At the same time, assessment gives the opportunity for the children to know each – other, to acquire self-confidence and to deal with an environment not specific for the human being, the aquatic environment.

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