What’s this project about?
The current pandemic situation has understandably changed so much, including sport participation, and it is crucial to better understand athlete and family experiences during this time. We partnered with Special Olympics Canada to conduct this research to learn about athlete and family well-being, involvement in Special Olympics, and the kinds of supports they need now and in the future – in and out of sport. The ACES Study aimed to inform how to program for athlete and family support during and following the pandemic, including how to promote retention and re-engagement, which will help to create an evidence-informed strategy that increases access to sport for all Canadians with intellectual disability.
What did participation involve?
Parents/caregivers completed an online questionnaire that assessed the pandemic’s impact on athletes and their family, involvement in Special Olympics, how their family handles stressors, as well as athlete and family well-being.
Who was involved?
Parents and caregivers of Special Olympics Canada athletes (ages 12+).
How did we go about doing this project?
Parents/Caregivers of individuals who had participated in Special Olympics Canada were asked to complete an online survey that assessed the pandemic’s impact on athletes and their family, involvement in Special Olympics, how their family handles stressors, as well as athlete and family well-being.
What did we do with our research findings?
Through collaboration with the Special Olympics Canada, findings from this study provided information about athletes and family well-being during the pandemic, involvement in Special Olympics, and the kinds of supports they need in and out of sport. The study aimed to inform how to program for athlete and family support during and following the pandemic, including how to promote retention and re-engagement, which can help to create an evidence-informed strategy to increase access to sport for all Canadians with intellectual disability. Following study completion, we created a report for Special Olympics Canada summarizing our findings. An article summarizing our findings has also been written and published in an academic journal.
Results
Want to know more about this project?
For more information, please contact Teresa Sellitto at sostudy@yorku.ca, or Dr. Jonathan Weiss, Principal Investigator on the study, at jonweiss@yorku.ca
