High School Athletes Can Have Unseen Disabilities

Are young athletes’ unseen disabilities affecting their athletic opportunities and performance? According to Katie Heiden, CEO of RHK Construction and part of a family with generations of unseen disabilities ranging from learning to physical differences, it’s likely that many young athletes fit into the categories of visual and kinesthetic learners.

“These groups of people can struggle with communication, standing still, distractions, and auditorial or visual presentations of instruction,” she explained. “They often succeed with different styles of teaching that range from physical and visual instruction combined with acting out scenarios in smaller settings to reach their goals.”

The Heidens have seen how their young athlete’s loss of hearing has created additional challenges for him, both in school and on the football field. They’ve noticed that incorporating accommodations in the classroom has been easier than in sports situations where there are larger groups of over 40 people. The hope is to create awareness that in athletics there are unseen disabilities that are quite common. The Heidens’ plan going forward is to have their athlete fitted for hearing aids and learn American Sign Language (ASL).

“If kinesthetic learners make up 5% of the population, and visual learners come in at 65%, how many of those athletes are on the field and how many are watching from the sidelines?” asked Heiden. “Could our athletes have an IEP, 504, or other health impairment impacting their performance? The solution could be as simple as acting out instructions, creating smaller groups, or using visual instruction and kinesthetic memorization to increase knowledge of sports terms.”

Communication will always be the key to producing impact, results, and resolutions. We should encourage more athletes to advocate for themselves regarding specific interventions. When met with supportive coaching and mentorship, we see the positive impact on the field, along with an increase in sportsmanship and overall morale of team players.

RHK Construction, Inc.

219 West Galena Blvd.

Aurora, IL 60506

331-212-5158

rhkconstructioninc.com