Table tennis recreation for children with special needs
In the 2025/2026 season, we are starting a new NT-OTPP programme (a programme of table tennis for children with special needs).
This programme is intended for:
- children with intellectual disabilities,
- blind and visually impaired children or children with an impairment of visual function,
- children who are deaf or hard of hearing,
- children with speech and language disorders,
- children with reduced mobility,
- children with long-term illnesses,
- children with deficits in individual areas of learning,
- children with autistic disorders,
- children with emotional and behavioural disorders.
Training for children with special needs takes place twice a week (on Mondays and on Thursdays from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm).
The training is conducted by a table tennis coach and a qualified defectologist for persons with intellectual, physical, and motor disabilities. The training is individually tailored to the needs of each child.
Children learn more about table tennis through play. We introduce them to table tennis rules, elements of table tennis, and playing table tennis. In a group with their peers, they learn about the importance of physical activity and strengthen social skills through interpersonal relationships.
The course of the exercise:
- The exercise begins with a short, "spontaneous" conversation with each individual child (in order to discover their mood and find out if they are ready for the exercise, and better understand how to encourage them on that particular day to make the training as successful as possible, etc.).
- The training continues with a warm-up session. This must be implemented extremely carefully, since children are full of energy and mostly wish to do everything with a lot of force, in a rapid succession, which is why irregular movements may lead to injuries.
- This is followed by coordination and skill training, using a racket and a ball (carrying the ball on a racket while standing up and squatting, bouncing the ball into the air, bouncing the ball against the wall and over a fence, footwork behind the table, etc.)
- Training on the table, which is adjusted according to the level of table tennis achieved by each child: learning the elements of the table tennis technique (various strokes, forehand strokes, backhand strokes, combinations, serves etc.) and footwork behind the table, learning the approach in order to play for points, etc.
- Playing in order to relax (free play, playing games on the table etc.).
A short conversation with each child about the training session (what they thought about the workout, what they liked, what they want to learn, etc.)
