People with LDs allowed to compete in Paralympics

[Davros]

Put this in SN Teens as its probably more relevant but thought people here would be interested. Sorry if this has already been posted somewhere:

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/8323369.stm

I am pleased they have sorted this out before the Olympics come to London. I wonder why they call it "intellectual" disability? Must be a reason.

The link does not work davros. I hate the intellectual thing. Loads of people are not 'intellectual' in many senses (I am most probably not for example )

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/8323369.stm
Hmmmm, should work, I've previewed it twice now. If not, go to www.bbc.co.uk and search paralympics.

I wonder if the original naming was in another language, maybe french, so the term "intellectual disability" is a direct translation of a term that is more usual in another language?

Good point TC and its probably their standard term I suppose.

Brilliant news! So even my child and his friends can aspire to be an olympian!
Perhaps intellectual disability helps to reduce confusion as learning disability is used more broadly in some countries/areas. I liked the term when I first came across it in Australia - it certainly beats the American term!

I'm guessing you mean the R word?

I always thought that "intellectual disability" was used because it sounds better than what used to be called "mental handicap". Also "intellectual disability" can cover things like autism where a person can have "normal intelligence" (please somebody find me a better way of phrasing this) as well as more traditionally recognised "learning disabilities" where often academic ability is affected. Sorry, this is really badly put. Someone is going to flame me
Been out of the UK so long that I no longer know what phrases are used. Here in France politicial correctness simply does not exist and Special Needs kids are called "handicapped".

Either way, it's got to be good news!!

Nah, Riv- I'm just sticking DS1 in a wheelchair and sending him in for the basketball comp

And then your DD4 has to compete aginst him unaided in the swimming

I can't see how they'ddo it otherwise- they'd have to have whheled basketball as a separate from ambulant I think

It's a positive I think, inclusion. Funny how it ahs to come from both sides isn't it?

DS3would ace the run randomly at peopleand climb up their clothes bit though,especially if there was a large water hurdle to jump in!

Actuall;y you'dnot get him in the water either, he clings and screeches anywhere near a pool. Gave up after the 'Butlins Whilst Heavily Pg And carrying DS3 Aged 4 And WatchingDH Have Fun With The Boys' incident.

i still can't work out the paralympic categories, very complicated. i still shudder after last time when they changed their minds after the event on some competitors... vaguely recall some poor girl being stripped of a medal as they had decided she could enter under a specific category and then changed their minds after she won... can't remember who it was now - a sort of caster semenya, but obviously not quite as media-interesting... can't remember what happened in the end...

good news that they are opening the competition up further though.

The Special Olympics has quite rigid testing and I think what it comes down to is an IQ score or below 70 or 75. To compete in their local competitions in the UK I think you just have to be in a special school or have a diagnosis but to compete at a higher international level there is much more rigid testing.

I think it's a positive thing, but hope it doesn't lead to lots of controversy over degrees of disability. There were several athletes at the recent deaflympics DQd for 'not being deaf enough'.

There's a lot of thata bout anyway- lecture this week broke down into a bit of a free for all with one side pro needs based assessment (and consequentionally general DX's of ASD, as it seems my council not alone in applying no-AS rule)- SSD and a few others very anti it as they want it all categorised before they have to visit.

And some chap who wants it all done before so he can carry out research into religion and ASD without having to actually look further than DX. Odd bloke (and I say that as a former RE Grad so obvious interest).

Dauisy that does sound a bizarre anomally that kids like ds1, who could run locally and maybe do quite well could not then go on to p[articipate at a higher level; he couldn't access MS level sport becuase of many issues- shared changing, complete inability to understand (receptive issues) instructions and controlown safety etc.