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Thank you for visiting the "Adapted Physical Education" section on PELINKS4U. Hopefully this section will provide you with useful information.
If you have any ideas about adapting activities for individuals with disabilities in physical education, please contact myself or the other editors of the section. In addition, if you have any questions about adapted physical education, I am happy to assist you in finding answers. Finally, all feedback about this page is always welcomed in an effort to provide a better service to you.
Cindy Piletic
Section Editor
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| Tips for Modifying Activities |
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The best thing about physical education is that there are so many different activities, and so many variations for activities. As students and teachers become more comfortable with activities outside of the box, the modifications become natural components of the activities.
Sure there are important elements to the traditional games and sports that are a part of many physical education curriculums, but as educators we want to be sure that success is being experienced by all. Thus, the need for modifying or changing the activities occurs.
When considering different ways of changing games or activities, there are different components of the game that can be changed: rules (purpose of game, cooperative or competitive, etc), equipment (size, color, weight, texture, etc.), scoring (more points, fewer points, no points), environment (distance covered or size), players (more, less, teams, individual), and sequence of activities.
More information about modifying or changing games can be found in Changing Kids' Games by Morris and Stiehl.
More ideas for changing activities can be found at the Texas Woman's Project INSPIRE web page.
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Q: Is physical education a direct service, or indirect service, according to Federal legislation?
A: Direct service. It is required for all students with disabilities to receive physical education.
Q: What is LRE?
A: Least restrictive environment. The placement of any student should be in the least restrictive environment where he/she is safe and successful.
Q: Is inclusion required by federal legislation?
A: No, a least restrictive environment is.
Q: Which law has defined physical education as an instructional area for special education?
a. Education for all handicapped children Act
b. Americans with disabilities Act
c. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 |
A: The answer is: A. Physical Education is defined as: the development of physical and motor fitness, fundamental motor skills, and patterns, along with skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games (including intramural and lifetime sports).
Q: What journals include information about adapted physical education?
a. Palaestra
b. Teaching Elementary Physical Education
c. Strategies
d. Sports and Spokes
e. All of the above |
A: The answer is: E, all of the above. This is just a few of the journals that do provide information about APE and programming for individuals with disabilities.
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A subscriber on an Adapted Listserve has recommended this book for general information about adapted physical education. Great find! See what you think!
Adapted Phys Ed - This book provides a strong foundation for teachers of students with special needs. By addressing learning differences in physical education programs, educators can assist students with vital recreational experiences to building individual gross motor skills.
This resource answers the question, "What do I need to know concerning my student's cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains?" Adapted Phys Ed provides information for physical education teachers and others who work closely with students who have special needs. Published by McGraw Hill Publishing, Children's section.
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Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.
-Charles Swindoll-
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The TGMD (developed by Dale Ulrich) has been used by many professionals doing motor assessments in Adapted physical education. Recently, a revised edition of the assessment tool has been published. The TGMD2 is a norm-referenced measure of common gross motor skills that can be used by kinesiologists, general and special educators, psychologists, and physical therapists.
The TGMD2 assists you in identifying children ages 3-0 through 10-11 who are significantly behind their peers in gross motor skill development, and who should be eligible for special education services in physical education. The TGMD2 is made up of 12 skills (six for each subtest):
Locomotor: run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, and slide.
Object Control: striking a stationary ball, stationary dribble, kick, catch, overhand throw, and underhand roll.
Detailed descriptions, illustrations of the gross motor skills, and a simplified scoring system allow you to administer the TGMD2 quickly and easily in 15 to 20 minutes.
The TGMD2 combines fun activities with a reliable and valid procedure that will give you meaningful results in identifying children with gross motor problems. You can use the results of this assessment to develop instructional programs, monitor progress, evaluate treatment, and conduct further research in gross motor development. Check it out at:
Pro-Ed Products
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| Summer Sports Organizations |
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Remember that since Spring is upon us, kids will be out of school soon and many will be participating in sports and recreational activities. The same should be true of individuals with disabilities. There are many possibilities for recreational and competitive activities. For more information about competitive activities, see Disabled Sports USA, USCPAA, or Special Olympics.
Also, there are agencies known as Special Recreation Associations in many of the larger cities that provide programming for individuals with disabilities. Try the recreation departments, the adventure programs, etc. In searching for the possibilities - don't get discouraged - keep looking. Something will be there.
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| Kids Say the Funniest Things |
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Here is a true story. One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his home. She read, "...and so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said, "Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?"
The teacher paused, then asked the class, "and what do you think that man said?" One little boy raised his hand and said, "I think he said "holy cats, a talking pig." The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.
You never know what you may hear! Be prepared for anything!
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Educators, parents, and individuals with disabilities are often searching for adapted equipment, so that students with disabilities can be included in different activities. There are numerous resources out there that can be helpful.
Here are some key adaptive equipment websites. Try these out: Gopher Sport, Sportime, FlagHouse, and Palos Sports.
Besides these sport equipment companies, remember that you can always make your own equipment. Need a light racket? Try a metal hanger bent in the shape of a racket, and then use a nylon (panty hose) to create the head of the racket.
Be creative!
Share your ideas about equipment that you have made with us at the Adapted Physical Education section PELINKS4U.
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If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Adapted PE Section Editors:
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Help to support quality physical education and health education by contributing to this site.
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