10 Youth Sports in Amer i ca with an improved awareness of what it means to have a disability and a more accu- rate understanding that youth who have a disability often possess the same inter- ests, goals, skills, and abilities as their nondisabled peers. Conclusion Youth with disabilities reap numerous benefits from participation in sport and rec- reational activities. Although all of the physical health benefits are important, such as obesity and diabetes prevention, sport participation also yields psychological ben- efits such as stress reduction. Moreover, sports provide a context for fostering posi- tive social interactions and a sense of belonging. Adaptive sport opportunities in community and school settings are varied but may become more formalized and highly competitive. Additional Resources Parents of youth who have a disability should contact local allied health profession- als (e.g., pediatrician, recreation therapist, physical therapist, occupational thera- pist), school officials, and/or parks and recreation sports leagues to learn about the inclusive and/or specialized sports programs being offered at their local commu- nity, state, and/or regional level. Parents can also visit Disabled Sports USA at http:// www . disabledsportsusa . org / chapters for more information about the adaptive sports chapters (often in partnership with nonprofit adaptive sport organizations) offering adaptive sports events taking place in or near their local community. For informa- tion regarding the Paralympics, visit the International Paralympic Committee at http://www . paralympic . org or the United States Paralympic website at http://www .teamusa . org / us - paralympics. More specifically, U.S. Paralympics provides a detailed list of the Paralympic sports clubs within each state (http://www . teamusa . org / US -Paralympics / Community / Paralympic - Sport - Clubs) these programs offer entry to higher levels of competition for youth athletes interested in pursuing a more elite level of adaptive sports participation. Brandi M. Crowe and Justine J. Reel Further Reading American Psychiatric Publishing. Intellectual Disability. Accessed August 1, 2015, at http:// www.dsm5.org/documents/intellectual%20disability%20fact%20sheet.pdf.
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