The best known is Matt Aitken (Otago Boys) who won five medals - three gold, silver and bronze - in AWD events at the New Zealand secondary schools championships in Hamilton in December.
At the Otago secondary school championships at the Caledonian Ground last Saturday, Ricky White (Sara Cohen) and David Takarei (Kings) emerged as athletes with potential to reach higher levels in the sport.
The group, coached by Sport Otago's Mike Weddell and Catherine O'Sullivan, started with one athlete four years ago and has now grown to 16.
Eleven of the athletes are training for the New Zealand Independence Games at Christchurch on April 18 and 19.
Jan Aitken, the manager of the Dunedin-based athletes, recognises the value of participation in sport for children with disabilities.
"It gets them out of the home and off their backsides," she said.
"They make friends with their peers and have success in the sporting field.
''They also enjoy it."
Carroll Markham said disabled children were integrated into mainstream classes at schools today.
Her son, Shaun, has cerebral palsy and is in his second year at Kings High School.
"This group allows Shaun to accept other people who also have disabilities," she said.
"He has learnt a lot of new skills and made new friends."
Aitken enjoys having the company while he is training.
"I like the atmosphere amd enjoy the friends I have made," he said.
Shaun Markham enjoyed being cheered by the crowd when he won the 100m at the Otago secondary school championships.
"I liked seeing all the other kids there who were cheering for me," he said.
"I like running and it felt good being a champion."
In November 2005, Athletics New Zealand signed an agreement with Paralympics New Zealand, to provide services to promote, control, regulate and manage the sport of athletics to improve the performance of New Zealand disabled athletes on the world stage.
Organised sport for athletes with a disability is generally divided into three broad groups: the deaf, people with physical disabilities, and people with intellectual disabilities.
Each group has a distinct history, organisation, competition programme and approach to sport.
AWD athletes at training at the Caledonian Ground this week were: Liam Monzari (12), Kaikorai Valley College; Shaun Markham (13), Kings; Matt Aitken (17), Otago Boys; David Takarei (16), Kings; Bradley Caffell (12), Balmacewen Intermediate; Giam Clark (12), Dunedin North Intermediate; Rhys Walsh (14), Bayfield; Ricky White (18), Sara Cohen.
