Abstract:
Several studies have demonstrated the profoundly favourable effects that regular
physical activity has on the growth, development, and health of individuals with
intellectual disabilities. Examining how the adapted soccer program affects the
psychological behaviors of adolescents with Down syndrome is the goal of this
study. Forty down syndrome adolescents (mean age of 15.8, level of range 40
60) were divided into two groups using stratified random sampling. Each group
consisted of twenty (n=20) subjects and was assigned to the experimental group
and control group. The experimental group underwent an adapted soccer program
for eight weeks, 3 sessions per week and each session 90 minutes. The control
group did not take part in any activity doing the course of the study. Aggression,
Attention, Anxiety, Withdrawn, and Social problem were taken as criterion
variables in this study. Pretest was taken before the program period and the
posttest was conducted immediately after the eight-week program period. The
criterion variables were assessed by using the standard questionnaire (CBCL 6
18). The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS 21 version from ANOVA,
Independent sample t-test to find out the significant difference between the
experimental group and control group. The result revealed the initial level, all
five variables showed statistically significant improvement. The experimental
group posttest p-value of these five variables is (0.000) then the p-value is less
than the significant value (5%). The control group had no appreciable variations
during the same time. It revealed that the adapted soccer program for adolescents
with Down syndrome decreased anxiety, withdrawnness, attention issues and
aggression. An adapted soccer program would enhance the psychological
behaviors of teenagers with Down syndrome, according to all the data.
