NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that most disabled teenagers who take part in school sports programs have a low rate of injury, though some may be at relatively higher risk.

Many special education programs in the U.S. offer competitive and non- competitive sports for students with mental and physical impairments.

Whether these children are at particular risk for sprains, concussions and other injuries has not been clear.

For the new study, California researchers followed 210 disabled high school students involved in one large school district's special education sports league. The sports included adapted versions of basketball, soccer, softball and field hockey.

Overall, Dr. Marizen Ramirez of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues found that the injury rate over 4 years was fairly low: two injuries for every 1,000 games and practice sessions. More than half of the injuries were bruises or minor abrasions, while sprains and muscle strains accounted for less than 20 percent, according to findings published in the journal Pediatrics.

"This adapted sports program is a reasonably safe activity for children with disabilities," conclude the researchers.

However, they add, certain students were more likely to suffer an injury than others -- including those with autism and those with a history of seizures.

The reason for this observation is not clear, but the relatively higher injury risk should not keep students with autism or seizure disorders out of sports, Ramirez and her colleagues stress.

"Rather," they write, "we encourage careful monitoring and planning during their participation."

All children with disabilities, the researchers point out, should be screened by their doctors before getting into sports. "The preparticipation evaluation by pediatricians is an excellent opportunity for developing guidelines for safe play."

SOURCE: Pediatrics, February 2009.

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