The Drawer · Adaptive
Sports for every kid.
ADHD, autism, sensory needs, physical disability, intellectual disability. The programs that exist. The accommodations that work. The conversations to have with coaches.
Topic
ADHD athletes
Practice structure, medication and sport, the coach conversation.
- ADHD and youth sports: what parents need to know
How ADHD affects the youth sports experience, which sport structures fit best, and how to set up your kid for a good season rather than a frustrating one.
- ADHD medication and sports: what parents need to know
How stimulant medications interact with physical activity, what questions to bring to your pediatrician, and what to tell the coach about your child's ADHD management.
- The ADHD athlete: practice structure, medication, and the coach conversation
Sport is one of the best things in an ADHD kid's life. The structure that makes it work, the medication question, and what to actually tell the coach.
Topic
Autistic athletes
Sensory needs, predictable structure, finding the right program.
- Autism and team sports: what parents need to know
How autistic kids experience team sports environments, what accommodations actually help, and how to find programs where your kid can participate and belong.
- Swimming for kids with autism: what parents need to know
Why swimming is one of the most recommended activities for kids on the autism spectrum, what to look for in an instructor, and how to manage sensory challenges at the pool.
- The autistic athlete: predictable structure, sensory needs, finding the right program
What programs work, what to ask coaches, and the accommodations that make sports accessible for autistic kids across the spectrum.
Topic
Sensory needs
Crowds, noise, equipment fit, transitions. Practical accommodations.
- Sensory-friendly sports environments: what to look for and how to ask
What makes a sports or activity environment sensory-friendly, which sports tend to be lower-sensory by default, and how to talk to a coach or program director about sensory needs.
- Sensory processing and youth sports: a parent guide
How sensory processing differences affect a kid's experience in sports environments, what specific triggers to watch for, and how to work with coaches to reduce sensory barriers.
- Sensory needs on the sideline: equipment, transitions, the loud parts
Crowds, noise, equipment fit, transitions. Practical accommodations that work for kids with sensory processing differences.
Topic
Physical disability
Adaptive equipment, classification, finding inclusive programs.
- Youth sports and physical disability: a parent guide
How to find adapted and inclusive sports programs for kids with physical disabilities, what governing bodies oversee adaptive sports, and what participation actually looks like at the youth level.
Topic
Intellectual disability
Special Olympics, Unified, school-based adaptive PE.
- Intellectual disability and youth sports: a guide for parents
How youth sports can work for kids with intellectual disabilities, what modifications and programs exist, and how to find the right environment for your child.
Topic
Unified Sports
Special Olympics Unified: athletes with and without disabilities on one team.
- Special Olympics: a guide for parents who are new to the program
How Special Olympics works, what sports are offered, how athletes qualify, and what the experience looks like for families participating for the first time.
- Unified sports: what parents need to know
How Special Olympics Unified Sports works, what participation looks like in practice, and how to find a Unified program for your kid in your area.
- Unified Sports: athletes with and without disabilities, one team
Special Olympics Unified: what it is, how to find it, why mainstream-track families should know about it too.
Topic
Inclusion rules
What governing bodies require. ADA in youth sports. Reasonable accommodation.
- Inclusion rules in youth sports: what parents need to know
What inclusion rules mean in practice, which governing bodies have formal inclusion policies, and how to advocate for your child in a mainstream youth sports program.
Topic
General
Cross-cutting topics for all adaptive athletes and families.
- Adapted sports programs: a guide for parents
What adapted sports programs look like, which national organizations offer them, and how to find a program in your area for a child with a physical or developmental disability.
- Finding the right sport for a neurodivergent kid: a practical guide
How to think about sport selection for a child with ADHD, autism, sensory differences, or learning differences. What tends to work, what tends to be harder, and how to set your kid up for a good experience.
- When your kid struggles in neurotypical sports programs
What to do when a neurodivergent kid is not thriving in a standard youth sports environment: how to read the signals, what to try first, and when to look for a different program.