The Role of Family in Motivating the Children with Disabilities to do Sport

This study aims to research the role of family in motivating the children with disabilities to do sport. Data collection tool, prepared by the researcher, was used to reach the demographic information of children with disabilities and their parents. It was applied on the parents of the children with disabilities (mental disabilities, hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disabilities and autism) receiving special education in special education and rehabilitation centers. A total of 164 parents, 132 mothers and 32 fathers, participated in the research voluntarily (41.68±9,31years). Pearson's chi-squared test was used to find out whether there was a relationship between the variables. It was determined that 37.2% of the parents did sport (n=61) and the most preferred sports were walking and swimming. It was set forth that the children of 72.1% of the parents who did sport also did sport and among the highly preferred sports were also walking and swimming. Another finding was that 51.5% of the children of 62.8% of the total parents, who said they did not do sport as they had no time, (n=103) did not also do sport and that the reason for these parents not to motivate their children to do sport was disabilities of the children and that these parents had never thought to have their children do sport. According to Pearson's chi-squared test, a significant relation was found between the families’ sport participation and the children's sport participation (p<0.05). In conclusion, it was put forth that families had a motivating role in their handicapped children's sport participation and that there was a significant relation between the families’ sport participation and their handicapped children's sport participation.