In recent years, the number of individuals with dwarfism participating in sports and physical activities has increased. The Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) has grown from 30 athletes in 1985 to over 600 in 1994. This paper details the structural, intellectual, motor, orthopedic, and medical characteristics of six types of dwarfism (achondroplasia, hypochon-droplasia, cartilage-hair hypoplasia, diastrophic dysplasia, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda, and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita) seen in individuals currently participating in eight DAAA-sanctioned sports. Implications and modifications for participation in physical activity, physical education, and sport are included.
Leslie J. Low and Mary J. Knudsen are with the Dwarf Athletic Association of America, 418 Willow Way, Lewisville, TX 75067. Claudine Sherrill is with the Kinesiology Department, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX 76204.