Managing the Challenges of Hidden Disabilities in Youth Sport: A Look at SLD, ADHD, and ASD through the Sport Psychology Lens

Abstract

The impact of disabilities on children in sport has received relatively little attention, with even less focus on those disabilities that are “hidden.” These disabilities are not physically apparent, and therefore may be overlooked or the athletes may be mistakenly labeled as unmotivated, lazy, oppositional, or defiant. The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to introduce those disabilities that are not obvious to the observer, specifically, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); and (2) to offer strategies and techniques that promote positive sport experiences for children with these disabilities.

KEYWORDS:

• ADHD
• ASD
• hidden disabilities
• SLD
• youth sport