The classification system was created by ISOD in the 1970s, with Les Autres sportspeople first participating at the 1976 Summer Paralympics.
The classification system has been criticized when used to facilitate competition against people with other disability types for not factoring in things like the impact of exertion on performance.
The purpose of Les Autres sport classification is to allow for fair competition between people of different disability types.
[3] It is also about giving credibility to disability sport by having a system that makes it possible for different types of people to compete against each other.
[18] ISOD eligibility for people in the Les Autres group covers sportspeople with locomotor disabilities regardless of their diagnosis.
[19][20][21][22][23][24] In practice, this class generally covers people with minimal disabilities who do not use a wheelchair, do not have cerebral palsy and do not have an amputation.
[3] This special disability group also includes people with Friedreich's ataxia, Duchenne's, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, arthogyposis, osteogenesis imperfecta and junior rheumatoid arthritis.
[35] People in Les Autres classes often have cardiovascular issues associated with the condition causing their disability.
[22][42] The functional nature was understood because of the difficulty otherwise often found in classifying people with multiple different disability types at the same time.
[22] Les Autres sportspeople were first eligible to compete at United States Cerebral Palsy Association athletic events in 1978 after previously having been locked out.
[13] Equestrian had a combined class for spinal cord injuries and Les Autres at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, with the competition being held in Texas.
[6][13] This was realized in swimming, where Les Autres sportspeople competed directly against people with other disabilities including cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and amputations.
For people with short stature, these sports include equestrian, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and track and field.
[28] Some sports have open classification, with all Les Autres and short stature classes able to participate so long as they meet the minimal definition of having a disability.
The rules were later changed to be inclusive of anyone, including Les Autres players, who meet the minimum disability requirement.
[34][52] In Nordic and alpine skiing, Les Autres competitors participate in different classes depending on their type of disability and what is effected.
This class is for people with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other similar disabilities who can use a regular bicycle.
Of the major disabilities covered by the Paralympic sport, the IPC has acknowledged this group as being the weakest in this regard.
[3] For swimming, the integrated classification system has been criticized because of its emphasis on functional ability while not taking into consideration other variables like exertion.