The Effect of Wheelchair Tennis Participation and Mainstreaming Upon the Perceptions of Competence of Physically Disabled Adolescents

This study investigated the effect of participation in an instructional wheelchair tennis program upon physically disabled adolescents' self"'perceptions of their own general, cognitive, social and physical competence. Nondisabled peer coactors were introduced at various points throughout the learning and performance stages of the treatment to assess the effect of their variable presence on the disabled adolescents' self perceptions. Results revealed that participation in wheelchair tennis can significantly improve the disabled adolescent's general perceptions of his or her physical competence. The resuIts also have practical implications for recreation department personnel and physical education teachers seeking to integrate the physically disabled into recreation and physical education programs.