Adapted Physical Education

November 26, 2001, Vol. 3, No.22

CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP CALENDAR
 Editorial

This installment of the adapted physical education section of the PELINKS4U website features:

  1. Guidelines for Adapting Physical Education Equipment and Teaching to Maximize Learning and Facilitate Success in Inclusionary Settings;
  2. Physical Education for Children with Disabilities: Information from your NCPERID…information on definitions, laws, and the rights of these children and your program…to help you get what you need to teach your students;
  3. A sample of some excellent educational/professional web sites for getting help when teaching physical education with students with disabilities.

Chris Stopka, Ph.D.
Adapted Section Editor


Guidelines for Adapting P.E. Equipment

Guidelines for Adapting Physical Education Equipment and Teaching to Maximize Learning and Facilitate Success in Inclusionary Settings
  1. Use lighter, safer, softer equipment such as:
    • Plastic Bats, Awhiffle-type balls
    • Large plastic beach balls; bladder balls
    • Yarn balls, styrofoam balls
    • Nerf balls; & similar soft balls
    • "Grocery store" play time balls
    • Homemade balls with newspaper stuffed into grocery store trash bags, shaped & taped into a spherical shaped object; but other shapes (like a football shape) are fun, too!
    • "Scatch type throwing & catching equipment with velcro.
    • "Light weight plastic mits with velcro
  2. Slow down moving objects:
    • Change the throwing style -- underhand
    • Throw ball with one bounce
    • Roll the ball
    • Stationary ball - place it on home plate or place it on a batting Tee (or a donated traffic cone which is often more stable than a Tee)
    • Increase the size of the ball
    • Decrease the weight of the ball
    • Decrease the air pressure within the ball
    • Use softer, grocery store (very cheap) balls, or "trainer balls" (which look similar to the real thing but are softer versions for safety)
    • Paper balls (made from scrunched up paper) are a stimulating, humorous, & safe diversion from the real thing. For example, use two piles of paper balls of differing colors for an exciting game of "cleaning out the back yard" for maximum participation & throwing practice by all; but a very safe situation; so put those discarded paper fliers to good use!
  3. Use devices to facilitate a good grasp if needed
    • Bowling gloves, roller blade wrist guards, or forearm splints can be attached to:
    • Racquet ball racquets
    • Tennis racquets
    • Golf clubs (drivers, irons, putters)
    • Fishing poles, and more
  4. Reduce the size of the playing area:
    • Change the boundary lines
    • Increase the number of players
    • Decrease the height of the net or goal
    • use equipment that will reduce the range of play
    • Net-type games may be played through a hoop
  5. Modify the rules, as needed:
    • Sit down or lie down rather than stand
    • Walk rather than run
    • Kick rather than strike
    • Throw or strike rather than kick
    • Permit additional trials - strikes, throws, jumps
    • Allow for substitution
    • Reduce the time periods of the game
    • Reduce the number of points required to win a contest
    • Allow a students using wheelchairs to use bowling ramps to deliver a ball into play such as for the "soccer sideline throw-in" or as kickball pitcher (with lighter, softer, safer balls), etc.
  6. Provide additional rest periods, as needed:
    • Discuss rule infractions
    • Discuss strategy and team play
    • Rotate players in and out of the game or into active and inactive
    • Reduce the time periods of the game
    • Modify the tempo, pace of the game
    • Provide quiet type games which may keep the student busy during rest periods - box hockey, box soccer, darts, ring toss, other tossing, putting games, etc., including target games with bowling ramps, and more.
Source:
Stopka, Christine and Lorilynn Bowie. (2000). Adapted Equipment Ideas to Facilitate Inclusionary Teaching!, 2nd Ed., Burgess Co. Publishers, Minneapolis, MN, 74 pp.

 Physical Education for Children with Disabilities

Information from your NCPERID…
information on definitions, laws, and the rights of these children and your program…to help you get what you need to teach your students.



Physical Education for Children with Disabilities:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Public Law 105-17 (1997), mandates physical education as a required service for children & youth between the ages of 3-21 who qualify for special education services because of a specific disability or developmental delay. According to the federal mandate: The term 'special education' means specially designed instruction at no cost to parents or guardians, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including-
  1. Instruction conducted in the classroom
  2. Instruction in physical education

IDEA 1401 (16), (1997)


Physical Education includes:

  • physical and motor fitness; fundamental motor skills and patterns;
  • health related physical fitness; motor fitness; and
  • skills in aquatics, dance, and individual/group/lifetime games & sports


Adapted Physical Education...(APE) is physical education which may be adapted or modified to address the individualized needs of children & youth who have gross motor developmental delays. This service should include the following:

  1. Assessment and instruction by qualified personnel...means that professionals are prepared to gather assessment data and provide physical education instruction for children & youth with disabilities and developmental delays. The National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreationfor Individuals with Disabilities has detailed APE National Standards which describe what a qualified APE teacher must know. Teachers who have met these criteria are described as Certified Adapted Physical Educators (CAPE's)
  2. Accurate assessment data...including diagnostic and curriculum-based data collected by qualified personnel.
  3. Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals and Objectives/Benchmarks... are measurable and objective statements written by the physical education instructor. The goals and objectives are reflective of the physical education instructional content and monitored/evaluated according to district policy, to ensure that goals and objectives are being met in a timely manner.


Instruction in a Least Restrictive Environment
(LRE)...refers to adapting or modifying the physical education curriculum and/or instruction to address the individualized abilities of each child. Adaptations are made to ensure that each student will experience success in a safe environment. Placement is outlined in the IEP and may include one or more of the following options:

  1. The general physical education setting;
  2. The general physical education setting;The general physical education setting with a teaching assistant or peers;
  3. The general physical education setting; A separate class setting with peers;
  4. The general physical education setting; A separate class setting with assistants; and
  5. The general physical education setting; A one-to-one setting between students and instructor.

Source:
National Consortium on Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID) website, 2001.
http://ncperid.usf.edu/index.html

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 Contribute YOUR Ideas

If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Adapted PE Section Editors:

Carol Huettig
Ph.D., Texas Woman's Univ.
Cindy Piletic
Ph.D., Western Illinois Univ.
Chris Stopka
Ph.D., U of Florida
Sue Tarr
Ph.D., U.Wis-River Falls

 

 Recommended Web Sites

A Sample of some excellent web sites to get help when teaching physical education to students with disabilities
  1. PE Central: An excellent site that provides physical education teachers with ideas for games and lessons. It has a book store where various literature can be purchased. There is a specific "page" within the website devoted to adapted physical education which is packed with helpful information on all aspects of the field including a "frequently asked questions" section and an opportunity for the site visitor to ask questions to an assigned adapted physical education expert (a different expert each month).

  2. Project Inspire: A wealth of information is supplied here including fact sheets for teaching students with all sorts of disabilities, modification suggestions, helpful internet links and more.

  3. National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD)

  4. Internet Resources for Special Children (IRSC). The IRSC Web Site is dedicated to communicating information relating to the needs of children with disabilities on a global basis.

  5. PALAESTRA (Forum of Sport, Physical Education and Recreation for Those with Disabilities), a quarterly publication, published in cooperation with both the U.S. Olympic Committee's Committee on Sports for the Disabled and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance's Adapted Physical Activity Council, is a valuable resource for consumers, their families, and professionals in the field. PALAESTRA, Greek for gymnasium or sports school, provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information concerning adapted physical activity for individuals with disabilities. Whether your interest lies in sports or recreation, training or teaching; outdoor adventure or dance; national or international championships, there is always something entertaining and
    informative available within PALAESTRA.




  6. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Web Site. This web site allows visitors to learn about this important legislation.

  7. National Consortium on Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID). This site is maintained by the National Consortium of Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. It contains information on the Consortium's mission, annual meeting, membership information, and an online copy of its newsletter, "The Advocate."

  8. Thera-Talk. This is an interactive site that allows you to send an receive messages to therapists and adapted physical education specialists around the world. Messages are posted and archived so you don't miss any of the conversation.

  9. Adapt-Talk. Subscribe to this listserv and discuss the latest issues about Adapted PE.


  10. Physical Activity for All: Professional Enhancement Program Update. This site details information to support on-campus and distance learning courses in adapted physical education for undergraduate and beginning graduate students as well as be a self directed learning system.

  11. Special Olympics. This site is maintained by Special Olympics International, with information on sports offered by Special Olympics, links to individual state programs, volunteering, and other pertinent information.

  12. Human Kinetics. Human Kinetics publishers provides many links to a variety of adapted physical activity sites. This is a great place to begin your search for information on adapted physical education.

  13. Therapeutic Recreation. This is a therapeutic recreation directory site, with links to many different topics ranging from activity and treatment ideas to workshops and conferences.

  14. Motor Opportunities Via Education (MOVE). MOVE International is dedicated to helping children with severe disabilities sit, stand and walk. MOVE International was born out of a need to improve the quality of life for people with severe disabilities. This is achieved through instruction and adaptive equipment that enhances independent mobility.

  15. Resource Center for Sport Information. This site have links to 23 sports organizations for individuals with disabilities.

Source:
The above information on these links were obtained from Project Inspire