Functional Classification Criteria

Purpose

This classification system is used to group swimmers with physical impairment into similar groups for the purpose of fair competition. As no two swimmers will present with the same physical impairments the classification system looks at the swimmers skill in three areas: a Physical Assessment, a Technical Assessment and are observed in a competition.

Criteria

The athlete has a physical impairment with a medical diagnosis. The diagnosis must be one that can be tested in a bench test.

Examples of conditions are :

•Achondroplasia (Dwarfism)

•Amputees

•Dysmelia

•Arthrogryposis

•Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bones)

•Neurological Conditions:

–Acquired Brain Injuries

–Cerebral Palsy

–Multiple Sclerosis

–Parkinsons

•Muscular Dystrophy:

–Duchenne (DMD)

–Charcot Marie Tooth

–Friedreich’s Ataxia

•Paralysis:

–Polio

–Spinal Cord Injury

Erb’s Palsy

–Brachial Plexus

–Guillain-Barre Syndrome

•Orthopedic Disorders:

–Legg Calves Perthes

–Club Feet

–Acquired Impairment

•Syndromes:

–Prader Willi

–Weber

–Marfan

–Ehlers-Danlos

·  In the FCS system a swimmer must have a minimal impairment. The only limit on the severity of the physical impairment is that the swimmers must be water safe.

·  The swimmer undergo three parts to the Sport Class: a Physical Assessment, a Technical Assessment and Observation during Competition.

·  Each swimmer’s disability must be one that allows for a reliable test re test of the bench test. These involve tests that related to their diagnoses; The bench tests are: muscle strength, range of movement, limb length measurements, height measurements and coordination testing.

·  As no two physical impairments present exactly the same there is a range of points within each class.

·  The muscles, joints and body position varies for the 4 competitive swimming stroke so the FCS accounts for this in the process of determining the Sport Class.

·  The Prefix S to the Class denotes the Sport Class for Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly; The Prefix SB to the class denotes the Sport Class for Breaststroke; The Prefix SM to the class denotes the Sport Class for Individual Medley.

·  The range is from the swimmers with severe impairment (S1, SB1, SM1) to those with the minimal impairment (S10, SB9, SM10)

·  In any one Sport Class some swimmers may start with a dive or in the water depending on their condition. This is factored in when classifying the athlete.

June 17, 2011