Why are sports important for children with spinal cord injuries? - Sara Klaas, MSW

We think sports programs are particularly important for children with spinal cord injuries because it allows them to get back and doing the types of activities that many of them were doing before they got hurt. Sports programs also allows kids to be with their peers, and to be connected with other children who have special health care needs, and to be able to compare stories and talk about their special issues that are different from their able-bodied peers. What we also see with some of our young children who are involved in wheelchair sports, is that they take better care of their bodies and understand the importance of that. And wheelchair sports also has a correlation in a decrease in secondary medical complications, such as pressure ulcers.