Introduction to Intellectual Impairments
Sport Classes T/F 20 – Athletes with an intellectual impairment
An intellectual impairment is a limitation in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills, which develops before the age of 18.
Athletes in this class have an intellectual impairment that impacts on the activities of running (400m - marathon), jumping (long jump and triple jump) or throwing events (shot put).
Athletes must have IQ of 75 or lower on standard tests, prior to 18 years and have evidence of significant limitations in adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills.
There are little modifications for athletes with intellectual impairments.
There is one sport class for running and horizontal jumping events (T20) and one for field events (F20) and athletes must meet the sport-specific Minimum Impairment Criteria (MIC) for each of their respective events (running, jumping or throwing).
T20: Must use blocks and four-point stance in races of 400m or less
Noah vucsics
How did you get introduced or discover Para Athletics?
I started doing some track and field with my sister when I was 10 years old. I was injured and had knee surgery and after that I didn’t really want to return to running. I was in a paced learning program – for students with intellectual and learning disabilities – and my teacher noticed how I liked jumping over things and convinced to join long jump in Grade 11. After placing 3rd at a local championship, I started training with CALTAF. Through conversations with the coach at that club, they found out I was in pace learning and that I had an intellectual impairment, and they discussed the possibility that I might be eligible for Para Athletics and we started to process of registering and figuring out if I was. In February 2020 received final confirmation that he was eligible and a few months later was identified to CAPP talent confirmation. Next step is international classification and competition.
In Para Athletics, for the most part, athlete’s disabilities or impairments are visible, what has your experience been like as an athlete with what we might call an “invisible” impairment?
This summer there was lots of track meets and now that there would be a T20 beside my name, I was getting more questions. Never used to like having to talk about competing as a Para athlete or explaining the differences between the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics but now I get excited when people ask me questions and I like being an advocate for Para Athletes and educating people around the performance abilities of Para Athletes.
I am very social and outgoing and was Valedictorian at my Grade 12 Graduation and people are always surprised to learn that I have an intellectual impairment. I think education around the spectrum of intellectual impairments is very important. For a lot of T/F 20 athletes it presents itself around social skills and so meeting me and chatting with me people don’t think I “qualify” but “on paper” my learning skills are different, and my disability is less visible at first glance.
I often get asked if “I am sure I qualify as a Para Athlete” and it’s often because they see my performances and I don’t present as having a disability and it doesn’t quite match what they think in their head a Para Athlete looks like. I like having conversations about how Para Athletes being elite athletes and giving them examples of performances from athletes with disabilities.
What is a tip you can offer a coach starting to train an athlete with an intellectual impairment?
Intellectual impairments affect learning capacities, and everyone will learn differently. It’s also important to be aware of an athlete’s social awareness and comfort level.
Your questions answered
What is the difference between Special Olympics and Paralympics?
Article: Quick facts about the differences between the Paralympics & Special Olympics
Michael Barber
In Para Athletics, for the most part, athlete’s disabilities or impairments are visible, what has your experience been like as an athlete with what we might call an “invisible” impairment?
My early teenage years were challenging once I became fully aware of my autism diagnosis. For awhile I felt a bit embarrassed and didn’t want anyone to know. My parents were incredibly supportive and my involvement in running gave me a sense of purpose. I started to accept my diagnosis, then celebrate it. I am not ashamed, it is part of me but not who I am.
Becoming a para athlete – and representing Canada – has been the greatest thing that has ever happened. When I joined the team, I started to meet so many great athletes. I saw athletes in wheelchairs, runners with prosthetic limbs, blind athletes and they were all producing fantastic performances. I felt like I belonged to a team, one that valued each other. My first para team was the World Junior Championships in Switzerland (which I won) and I met so many great people. Athletics Canada has given me an incredible amount of support in training and competitions. They have sent me to races (ParaPan Games in Peru) and training camps. They even forgave me when I left chicken to cook for hours and filled the condo with smoke. They have given me access to an outstanding support team. This is something I do not take for granted and will be forever grateful.
What is a tip you can offer a coach starting to train an athlete with an intellectual impairment?
Many people think that someone with autism is just someone who has learning difficulties. I can drive a car and graduated from High School. What some dont understand is the challenges that people with autism face with anxiety, OCD, Tourettes. Some of those issues can be overpowering and it takes a lot of work to learn how to manage these symptoms. Many people don’t know the difficulties people with autism have with their GI system, or know that the sensory system might be compromised. Imagine if your hearing was so sensitive that it felt like your ear was pressed against a radio at full volume, or perhaps you were extremely sensitive to smells or textures. What I would ask a coach to do is meet privately with the athlete and their parents, and increase your understanding of how the autism uniquely effects this athlete. Just like all cancers are not the same, autism is not a uniform condition. I know some people with autism who cannot speak at all, others are highly verbal. Some are so poorly coordinated that running is barely possible, others running is the most natural experience. Athletes with autism can get stuck on certain ideas – it is called perseveration – and this requires the coach to be understanding and calm (not frustrated) when supporting this athlete.
How did you get introduced or discover Para Athletics?
I actually started running at a very young age – 6 years old. My dad, Gary Barber - who ran for Canada in the Commonwealth Games – set up a running club for very young kids who experienced difficulties playing team sports. We started out with 3 kids – who also had autism, and within a few years we had over 30 runners. Most of them had invisible disabilities. We would play lots of running games of hide and seek in the forest and this was a great way to develop a love of running. As I got older, dad changed this club from a games approach to a more traditional running group. I loved every minute of it. When I became a teenager, I joined the Victoria Prairie Inn Harriers Club. They had a youth team which was coached by Bruce Deacon. My dad still coaches the young athletes but I outgrew that group. In my late teens, I learned that I could be a Para athlete. This was not an easy task getting classified, but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Bruce has been an excellent coach for me. I have Para athlete Liam Stanley to train, the Western Hub to support me, things couldn’t be better.
