In previous articles, I have talked about the importance of providing exercise opportunities for children with disabilities to prevent many health problems as they grow older and to allow them to maintain their independence. What is recently coming to light is the importance of exercise and a child’s brain development. In the recent September 19th New York Times Magazine, devoted to education, there is an article titled, The Fittest Brains by Gretchen Reynolds that links aerobic exercise to brain development. She talks about two studies that indicate that exercise will help provide “enhanced neurocognition” by growing and strengthening the connection between the hippocampus and the basal ganglia, which are the centers of the brain for complex thinking.
Many people, for a long time, have advocated for more and equal educational opportunities for children with 
disabilities which over the recent years has improved greatly. But no one is advocating for equal exercise opportunities. Sadly gym or recess time during school hours for all students has been cut back dramatically throughout many states. Also, insurance providers are reluctant to pay for adaptive bicycles, handcycles or active standing devices for children or adults with disabilities, which leaves many with no access to physical activity.
This research is a wakeup call for society to look closely at the physical and mental health of all our children as they grow up in this “screen” culture. As our population ages the nation will need healthy intelligent young people to take over the jobs that are becoming more complex. We also cannot afford to leave children with disabilities behind. We need them to become as independent and productive as possible, throughout their life. Hopefully physical activity programs will gain more recognition as a key preventer of poor health in the medical community, and in-turn, our society will add more support early in childhood, instead of paying greatly for the resulting problems in the future.
How do you think physical activity effects the mental health for kids? How can we encourage kids with disabilities to be more active?
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