Free Communication Abstracts The following abstracts appear precisely as they were submitted. They have not been edited for language, spelling or grammar, and the IPC does not take any responsibility for the content. # 3 Assessment of a sport socicalization intervention programme on social skill learning of children with intellectual disability in Kakamega , Kenya R.A.Odiango; P.Bukhala; G.Nguka Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology,Kakamega, Kenya Background: Experts advocate for promotion of socialization of children with intellectual disability, into sports for social skills enhancements. Despite this, trend shows that large numbers of these children are still inactive and susceptible to social skill challenges. The purpose of this study was to determine if socialization in sports leads to social skill learning among these children. Methodology: This Study used Single Subject Research Design (SSRD) replicated across 8 subjects. Purposive sampling was used to get the study sample of 8 children with ID (4 Boys and 4 Girls) and 24 typically developing (TD) peers from Kakamega County. Data was collected at 3point intervals: baseline of two weeks with non –intervention, treatment of six weeks, and post – intervention for four weeks. Instruments of data collection were, Peer Social Task Rating Scale (PSTRS) adapted from Social Skill Rating Scale (Gresham &Elliot 1990) and 3-5 minute video coding (Faith 2012). Data was subjected to SAT/ETS software. Chi-square, Pearson’s Moment Correlation Coefficient (PMCC), Time series and Regression analysis, were used in data analysis. Level of significance was set at 0.05 alpha level and results presented in graphs, charts, histograms and percentages. Results: Participants scored lower in use of social skill strategies: 35% at baseline compared to 65% after the program. The social skill functioning levels of the study participants improved from a mean of 3.35 and SD of .50 at baseline to 4.29 and SD of .94 after the program. There was a positive correlation between social competence and time taken in the intervention program at 0.88. Conclusion: The intervention program was effective in enhancing social skill development of children with ID. The study recommends that policy frameworks should focus more on socialization programs in promoting social skill learning in the school curriculum and community level for overall development of children with ID. Faith, A. Hodgins, J.K. and Reigh, J.M (2012). Audi-Visual Prediction of Child social Behaviour. Decoding children’s social behavior; social Interactions; A first person Perspective. Centre for Behaviour Imaging. Emory University, U.S.A.,Gresham, F.M. & Elliot, S.N. (1990). Social Skill Rating System. Circle Pines MN: American Guidance Service. ---------- # 4 Quality Participation in Parasport: A Narrative Perspective Veronica Allan; Brett Smith; Jean Côté; Kathleen A. Martin Ginis; Amy E. Latimer-Cheung Queen's University; University of Birmingham; University of British Columbia BACKGROUND: Despite the many prospective benefits associated with parasport involvement, rates of parasport participation among individuals with physical disabilities are quite low. For those individuals who do participate in parasport, VISTA 2017 Scientific Conference 54 notions of quality participation – that is, the subjective or experiential aspects that make participation satisfying or meaningful – are not well understood (Martin Ginis et al., 2016). As such, the purpose of this study was to explore and typify narratives of athletes’ participation in parasport throughout the life course. Narratives represent common stories that people tell to communicate meaning and share experiences; thus, these narratives provide important insight into what quality participation means and how quality experiences be fostered for parasport athletes. METHODS: Two-part retrospective life history interviews were conducted with 21 current or former athletes with a physical disability (congenital or acquired). This sample included men and women with experience participating in a range of individual and team parasports from recreational to elite levels. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to a dialogical narrative analysis (Smith, 2015). This analysis enabled an in-depth examination of the common stories told by athletes and the effects of these stories on their past, present, and future participation in parasport. RESULTS: Six distinct narrative types were constructed from the data, representing differential developmental trajectories and conceptions of participation in parasport. These narrative types were framed by three common narratives in the sport literature (Douglas & Carless, 2006): performance (i.e., “I couldn’t be successful without sport being the most important thing in my life”), discovery (i.e., “Sport was the conduit for me to be in different worlds”), and relational (i.e., “I played my heart out for someone else”). Narrative types were further distinguished by athletes’ gender, disability type, and the specific meaning or value associated with participation in parasport (e.g., social acceptance; sense of purpose; independence and autonomy; confidence and success; (re-)discovering sense of self or identity; fun and enjoyment). IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study will inform the future development of parasport programmes designed to enhance the quality of participation and improve participation rates among individuals with physical disabilities. Specifically, these narratives offer alternative perspectives on the developmental pathways of parasport athletes and what it means for these athletes to participate; such views may inform successful recruitment and retention efforts targeting (prospective) athletes in the parasport system. Douglas, K., & Carless, D. (2006). Performance, discovery, and relational narratives among women professional tournament golfers. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 15, 14-27. Martin Ginis, K. A., Evans, M. B., Mortenson, W. B., & Noreau, L. (2016). Broadening the conceptualization of participation for persons with physical disabilities: A configurative review and recommendations. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. Smith, B. (2015). Narrative analysis. In E. Lyons & A. Coyle (Eds.), Analyzing qualitative data in psychology (2nd ed., pp. 202-221). London, UK: Sage. ---------- # 5 Setting the classification standards for para-shooters with vision impairment P.M. Allen; K. Latham; D.L. Mann; R. Ravensbergen; J. Myint Anglia Ruskin University; Research Institute MOVE Amsterdam; University of Hertfordshire VISTA 2017 Scientific Conference 55 VI shooting is not currently included in the Paralympic games as a stand-alone sport. A potential barrier for inclusion is the need to develop, in accordance with the IPC Classification Code, an evidence-based system of classification specific to the sport. This means that the sport must provide evidence to demonstrate (1) the minimum level of impairment necessary for inclusion in competition (the minimum impairment criteria), and (2) whether the eligible athletes should compete together in one class or be separated into separate classes. Shooting is a sport of particular interest to athletes with vision impairment because, in the adapted form of the sport, competitors can rely on sound in addition to (or rather than) vision to guide the direction of the gun barrel towards the target. Two studies addressing the appropriate criteria for shooting are reported here. Study 1 aimed to establish the minimum level of vision impairment necessary to compete in visually impaired (VI) shooting by testing the level of simulated impairment that would reduce performance in athletes without impairment in the un-adapted form of the sport. The shooting performance of nineteen elite able-sighted shooters was assessed while wearing lenses that simulated a range of different levels of vision impairment. There was no change in shooting performance for initial decreases in visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS), and then quickly deteriorated with more severe loss. When treated individually, a VA cut-off of 0.53 logMAR (log of the minimum angle of resolution - approximately half the level of impairment currently required to compete) was deemed to be the most suitable cut-off for acuity, and 0.83 logCS (log of contrast sensitivity - not used for classification presently) for the cut-off for contrast sensitivity. However, the results show that a suitable minimum impairment criterion is most likely to require a combined consideration of both VA and CS. The aim of study 2 was to determine whether a significant relationship exists between vision and performance in those shooters currently competing with vision impairment in the adapted form of the sport (using auditory guidance of the rifle towards the target). Ten athletes with vision impairment currently competing internationally in VI shooting events participated. The relationships between VA, CS and shooting performance confirmed that individuals with residual vision had no advantage over those without vision (auditory guidance helps them overcome the loss of vision) suggesting that one class might be appropriate for VI shooting. The results help to work towards a sport-specific evidence-based system of classification for VI shooting. VISTA 2017 Scientific Conference 56 Tweedy, S.M., and Vanlandewijck,Y.C. (2011) .International Paralympic Committee position stand: background and scientific