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Meghan McCormack

Abstract/Description

It is a pattern that opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in extracurriculars are much fewer than students without disabilities. However, just from 2016 to 2023 there have been many more opportunities for students with disabilities to be more involved. In the past, for many students with disabilities, the annual Special Olympics was their only opportunity to participate in unified sports. However, it is exciting to see that most towns in Massachusetts now offer unified sports year-round. Unified sports and other extracurriculars allow students with disabilities to fit in, not only in their school community but also in their town community. This study focuses on the positive effects that unified extracurriculars have on students with disabilities and the effect it has on their feelings of community. Data and results will be illustrated and analyzed through research from peer-reviewed articles and self-reported data from surrounding school districts in Massachusetts. The self-reported data will look at results from a survey with multiple choice, Likert scale, and short answer questions. The survey results will be analyzed to see if there is any difference between students with disabilities who participate in unified extracurriculars and students with disabilities who do not participate in unified extracurriculars’ feelings of community.

Note on the Author

Meghan McCormack is a 2024 graduate who earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and Psychology. Her research was completed in the fall of 2023 under the mentorship of Dr. Ashley Rodrigues (Department of Special Education). Meghan chose to do her research on a topic that is an important part of her life and career. After graduation, Meghan plans to become a high school special education teacher and get her master's degree in Severe Special Education.

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.

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