Welcome Back! As another school year gets underway, be sure you and your program are ready to go. Hopefully these tips and links are helpful.

Go Team USA!

Sue Tarr
Adapted Section Editor

Read through files of students before first day of class. Note students who are taking medicine and determine side effects, if any, which may influence performance in physical education.

• Remember, just because you have a student with a disability in your physical education class, doesn’t mean s/he automatically needs or qualifies for adapted physical education.
• Work with an adapted physical education specialist to refer, assess, place, and determine appropriate programming for students with disabilities.
• Talk with special education director to identify students who already have Individual Education Plans (IEP). Become an ACTIVE member of the IEP team. Be sure to thoroughly read the IEP and determine how you will implement programming for students. Attend IEP meetings and keep lines of communication with team members open.
• If you are responsible for assessment, click on this PE Central link for help or contact one of us on the PELINKS4U adapted physical education page for assistance.
  www.pecentral.org/adapted/ adaptedinstruments.html
• Start your school year off with activities to enhance disability awareness. All students, disabled and able body, can benefit from experiences with each other. You must, however, provide the knowledge base and opportunity for these positive experiences to occur. Fear, often times, can be associated with a lack of knowledge – so, please provide a strong knowledge base for your students and colleagues regarding disability!
  www.pecentral.org/bp/indivBP Display.asp?ID=89&votes=18
  
• The Grant Wood Area Education Agency (Cedar Rapids, IA) has developed two videos focusing on activity and disability and disability awareness – check it out:
  emerchant.aciwebs.com/shop.asp? s=196862&p=2867
• Want or need help with net/wall, striking/fielding, team passing sports, or personal performance activities??? Check out this link and download the APE activity guides (PDF format) for your files!
  www.pecentral.org/adapted/ adaptedactivityguides.html
• As always, numerous activity adaptations can be located throughout the web. Remember to consider your student first and adapt any recommended modifications or adaptations to her/him. Check out these links:
  www.pecentral.org/adapted/ adaptedactivities.html
• Adapted Physical Education Project INSPIRE-http://www7.twu.edu/~f_huettig/

• Children with disabilities, birth to 21 years, are eligible for special education services.
• Physical education is the ONLY curricular area mentioned in the definition of special education in public law.
• Physical education is a direct service (required) and occupational therapy and physical therapy are related services (not required).
• Physical education is defined as development of: (a) physical and motor fitness, (b) fundamental motor skills and patterns, and (c) skills in aquatics, dance, and individual & group games & sports (lifetime and intramural). It is also defined as special physical education, adapted physical education, movement education, and motor development.
• Use the word disabled in place of the word handicapped.
• Use first person language (i.e., Sue, who is blind, competes in tandem cycling.).
• Education for students with disabilities should occur in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This is considered the environment where the child learns the best and may NOT be synonymous with the regular physical education class or an inclusive setting.
• Students with disabilities, 14 years of age and older, must have a transition plan in physical education.