News from Latvia

August 2001 (pdf format)

January 2001 (pdf format)

October 2000

The Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) is involved in the European Thematic Network Project "Educational and Social Integration of Persons with a Handicap through Adapted Physical Activity (THENAPA)" since the beginning of the project. The official representatives from Latvia are three specialists from the LASE – Aija Klavina (Department of Sport Medicine, she is also a president of the Latvian Disabled Children’s and Youth Sport Federation), Viesturs Larinš (Department of Sport Medicine, he is also a chief doctor of the Latvian Basketball team, member of the board of Latvian Association of Sport Medicine), Vita Kotane (Department of Sport Games, she is also a chief coach of the Latvian sitting volleyball team for women). The cooperation between official representatives mentioned above and other organizations that are involved in adapted sport activities for disabled people in Latvia was developed at the beginning of the THENAPA, too. Now it includes the National Committee of Special Olympic (president - Dzidra Kupca), the Latvian Disabled Children’s and Youth Sport Federation (the vicepresident of the LDCYSF Linda Frišnebrudere), Latvian Paralympic Committee (president Valdis Nagobads), Latvian Sport Department , the Ministry of Education and Science (chief of the Sport Information Officer – Agra Brune).

In 1997 the Ministry of Education and Science in Latvia developed documents with the aim of guaranteeing children with disabilities the opportunity to education appropriate to their state of health, abilities and level of development, while at the same time ensuring psychological and medical treatment. However, it must be noted that in many respects the integration of disabled children into regular schools is problematic, given the paucity of professional educators trained specifically for this purpose as well as lack of an educational environment suitably adapted to disabled children. Till now in Latvia it wasn’t possible to acquire professional education in APA on university level. At the end of 1999 in the Latvian Academy of Sport Education it was decided to develop the study curriculum "Adapted Physical Activity and Sport". The first theoretical and also practical impulse came from the THENAPA. At now this study is created and it was done by specialists of the LASE involved in the TNP. The aim of this study program is to give the basic knowledge in adapted physical activity focusing on the specific aspects of impairment, disabilities and handicaps, and evaluation and implementation procedures for different specific population. The study curriculum consists of 76 hours and it will be organized from October 2000 till February 2001. Aija Klavina will be lecturer in this study program. About 120 students of the fifth study year in the LASE will take this course.

To clarify the situation in APA in our country as well as to implement ideas of the THENAPA in Latvia several projects were started on national level this year. Since in Latvia it is easier for non-governmental organizations to get support from sponsors and foundations, the Latvian Disabled Children’s and Youth Sport Federation and its president Aija Klavina was initiator for projects that promote APA in Latvia in several ways. The first project "Rehabilitation Consultation Program for Disabled Children" was started on January 2000 and it is supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy. This project refers to the rehabilitation area of the APA. The main aim of the project is to foster development of the best possible functional capacity and to provide the basic requirements for participation in the life of the community. Project activities include 18 counseling, support and education sessions in period of 9 months (January- May, September-December, 2000) for children with severe disability as well as for their families. There are 9 sessions has been organized as well as 4 meetings of the multidisciplinary team of specialists included in the project. The main results of this project reached till now are:

1. development of the multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for disabled children;
2. social support and counseling of the families of disabled children;
3. obtaining and analyses of the questionnaire of parents about rehabilitation and education possibilities of their children;
4. development of the video and methodological material for further education of students in APA and doing research in the rehabilitation of disabled children;
5. involvement of disabled children and their families in adapted sport activities on recreational level (participation in the IX Latvian Disabled Children’s Sport Festival on June 3, 2000)
6. informing of the society about socialization of disabled children through APA including rehabilitation and recreational sport activities (two articles have been published in the mass media about this project)

The outcomes of this project were used in the THENAPA for detecting applied basic knowledge/skills for APA professionals in rehabilitation and in education.

An other project is "Integrative pre-school program for children with special needs" that is supported by the Soros Foundation in Latvia. This project aims the inclusion of children with special needs among non disabled peers in the regular pre-school settings. The pre-school is the primary important level where children undergo their first formal education experience and develop their first notions about school culture and children around them. Thus, the integrative program can be developed likely to reflect natural rather than preexisting biases for or against inclusion as an educational practice. In physical education inclusion is effective in facilitating motor engagement, motor performance, and self-concept of children. Till now in Latvia the inclusion of children with disability in physical education hasn’t been commonplace educational practice. Results of this project will be used as the research material for students of adapted physical education in the LASE as well as for detecting problems and to find if special resources are needed to make integrative education program effective.

The outcomes of both projects will be used in the THENAPA for showing an example of the implementation of integration strategies and solutions of problems on national level regarding to the integration of disabled children into education system as well as in the society through adapted physical activity.

In the future it is planned to develop special study program in adapted physical activity in the LASE. The program will offer the specialisation in the social, pedagogic and technical aspects of adapted physical activities to specific population. In addition to mentioned above, the students will be given the opportunity to apply the theory to a specific practice area and research field.

Aija Klavina