Abstract
Sport has been used as a means to provide opportunities for the (re)-integration of marginalized persons into society (Elling & Knoppers, 2005), highlighting the importance of designing appropriate sporting environments to aid in the development of life skills among persons with developmental delays (DD). The purpose of the current study was to examine behaviour patterns before, during, and following the implementation of a four week skill building training (SBT) package which targeted mental and social skills, among four Special Olympic track and field athletes with DD. The SBT package focused on improving adaptive behaviours (positive self talk, leadership skills, focus and task involvement) and decrease maladaptive behaviours (negative self talk and off task behaviours). Data was collected through mixed methods including frequency of observed behaviours, researcher field notes, and athlete interviews. Overall, the SBT was effective for all athletes. Specifically, athletes showed improvements and greater consistency in the adaptive behaviours of focus, task involvement, positive self talk, and leadership qualities, as well as a decrease in negative self-talk patterns and off task behaviours during the intervention phase when compared to baseline; however, long-term effectiveness varied depending on the targeted behaviour and the athlete. Findings are discussed within the context of Bandura's Social Learning Theory, and directions for future investigation are explored.
