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Adapting and modifying for physical education seems much easier than being inclusive. Inclusion is educating students with and without disabilities in the same environment. I found much information on adapting physical education and activities. For inclusion, though, it was harder to find activities that suit both disabled and non-disabled students. Physical educators do not get to choose if disabled students are in their class or in a special education classroom. We need to be prepared to be inclusive if there are disabled students in the classroom. We as educators cannot leave them on the side to watch or sit alone.

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This is a good video of adapted PE activities performed with different disabilities.

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Severe Cerebral Palsy student has fun while standing

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Severe Cerebral Palsy student has fun while standing

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In Adapted PE, it is beneficial to the student physically to keep moving and to be "pushed" to keep trying.

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Our pal Jacob has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He has been integrating Original Strength into his life since August 2013 and is making huge strides. Original Strength is for everyone... we are ALL made to move.

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Everyone should have equal opportunity, even if they are disabled. We modify for them if we need.

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I chose to put this on my padlet because it explains what adapted physical education is.

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Adapted Physical Education National Standards - What is Adapted Physical Education?

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The APE teacher is a direct service provider, not a related service provider, because physical education for children with disabilities is a federally mandated component of special education services [U.S.C.A. 1402 (25)]. This means that physical education needs to be provided to the student with a disability as part of the special education services that child and family receive.

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Disabled and non-disabled students dance together. This is a good example of inclusion.

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UW-Whitewater's dance program introduced a new dance class specifically designed for sit-down (wheelchair) and stand-up dancers. According to theater and dance professor Barbara Grubel, this is the first class of its kind in the UW System. Video by Jennifer McElligott and Jeffrey Pohorski.

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Physical Education is for everyone, including those with disabilities.

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These are plans that can be used. These plans offer rules, warm up times, objectives, etc.

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I do not like this example because the disabled person is left out anyway, but the attempt is a decent representation of  inclusion.

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This is a video of an inclusive physical education lesson within a mainstream classroom. We adapted the rules of the basketball game to keep all students on four wheels.

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This is self-explanatory, but it is a good reminder of some benefits for the students.

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These are some encouraging, helpful people and programs to utilize to have a successful inclusive PE class.

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This article explains how to better adapt to and include people with disabilities in our PE class.

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By: BJ Williston, SPARK Trainer and Curriculum Development Consultant
If you are a physical educator, you no doubt have had students with disabilities in your class. In many instances, you may be not be aware of which students have a disability because the disability doesn't affect their participation in your class. Other times you are well aware of those students and are looking for better ways to keep them challenged, and they end up having a successful and fun experience in your class. "Inclusive PE" is the term used for a General Education (Gen Ed) physical education class in which ALL students are included. This includes any student with a disability who may or may not also be receiving Adapted Physical Education (APE) by a special APE teacher. (APE is provided to students with disabilities as part of the special education services they receive.) Inclusive PE is part of the Gen Ed services and involves placing students alongside their peers with support and proper accommodations to help make everyone successful.

Inclusive PE incorporates everyone who can safely be included in a general PE class. Most students with disabilities (92% at elementary and 88% at secondary level) are mainstreamed into general PE classes. The greatest percentage of students with disabilities falls under the group "specific learning disabilities" (~45%) followed by "speech and language disorders" (~19%). The rest of the students with disabilities fall into the categories of "Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)," which can include emotional disturbance, hearing impairment (including deafness), intellectual disability, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, traumatic brain injury, visual impairments (including blindness) and multiple disabilities.

Inclusive PE has benefits for all students. Students with disabilities gain valuable social skills when working and playing in the Gen Ed environment. All students learn appropriate behavior from a variety of their peers whether they are disabled or not. Students with disabilities have more opportunities to participate in age-appropriate physical activities in an inclusive PE environment compared to APE. Students develop relationships with their Gen Ed peers. Oftentimes, higher expectations lead children with disabilities to achieve more, gain confidence, and develop a stronger sense of self. On the other hand, the Gen Ed students also gain many advantages from inclusion. First, as they are exposed to children with disabilities, they tend to become more understanding of and develop more positive attitudes toward others with differences. They are less likely to see disability as an impairment and more likely to see it simply as a difference and accept them more readily. It has also been shown that when students are given the chance to be an "expert" in an area and become peer tutors, it helps them and increases their abilities in that area. In addition, when teachers create opportunities for students to learn in a variety of ways, it helps not just those with disabilities, but all students. There is no evidence at all that Gen Ed students lose academic or social skills as a result of inclusion. All evidence points to a win-win situation for all students.

As a PE teacher your goal is to help your students reach their full potential. An inclusive environment will help them get there. Be emphasizing respect, acceptance and cooperation as core values in class, you will create an environment that recognizes the value of differences and helps everyone focus on what they can do. The following strategies will help you build a more inclusive environment:

Talk to your class about inclusion - Have a conversation about expectations and etiquette. Students will have questions and concerns, so give everyone an opportunity for discussion. Help them to understand that all people have needs and rights and that everyone is different.

Use "People First" language - by putting the individual first and the disability second you are helping to create mutual respect. (E.g. "My student with autism" as opposed to "An autistic student.")

Get to know your students - Find out about their abilities, strengths and challenges, rather than making assumptions based on their disability. Find out about their learning needs and which specific strategies work for them.

Consult with specialists - Specialists such as PTs, OTs, APE teachers, speech and language therapists, and others with more experience or education regarding working with students with disabilities can be a very effective resource.

Engage your students when adapting activities - Help them see that there are many ways to adapt to help them be successful. Guide them so that eventually they will know best how to adapt for themselves.

Adapting rules and instructions - If students are having difficulty following rules, simplify so there are fewer rules to remember. Make instructions clear and add resources where needed (e.g. white board, demonstrations, minimize background noise, etc.)

Modify activities - Sometimes students will need modifications and sometimes they won't. It will depend on the student and the activity/skill/game being taught. Don't assume that if a student has a disability they will always need things to be modified. The following are some general ideas for adapting activities:

Let partners/peers assist

Eliminate time limits

Allow balls to be stationary

Modify the purpose of the activity

Use models to show the activity

Reduce number of players per team

Slow the pace of the activity

Provide rest periods as needed

Define boundaries clearly

Modify the activity area

Use a variety of sizes, weights, densities of toss/catchables

Make lower/larger goals

Use lighter equipment

Provide balance support

If you are looking for ways to adapt your teaching to better suit students with varying disabilities, SPARK has written its Inclusive PE Guidebook with this in mind. It was written by Adapted Physical Education and Gen Ed Physical Education teachers to help PE teachers teach a more inclusive PE class. SPARK also now has an Inclusive PE workshop (3- or 6-hour) that focuses on creating a more inclusive environment and provides a multitude of strategies to adapt activities to make all your students more successful in PE. Sportime also carries an Inclusive PE Starter Pack that can help your students with disabilities reach their potential in PE.

Tags: adaptive, disability, inclusion

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How to Make Your Physical Education Class More Inclusive

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By: BJ Williston, SPARK Trainer and Curriculum Development Consultant If you are a physical educator, you no doubt have had students with disabilities in your class. In many instances, you may be not be aware of which students have a disability because the disability doesn't affect their participation in your class.

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I love this article because it gives me helpful ideas on inclusion during class time.

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BY Karen Wang

37,718 views

Does your child participate in physical education at school?

What about sports?

The ones that need it most receive it less

Studies have found that special education students are less likely to be enrolled in physical education compared to their general education peers. Separate studies have also found that special education students are more likely to develop childhood obesity and related health conditions compared to their general education peers.

Additionally, special education students often have delays in gross motor skills due to conditions such as hypotonia or dyspraxia. But physical therapy is usually only 1 to 2 hours per week, if it is offered at all. I know that my son has hypotonia, but he has never been eligible for physical therapy in school.

Then there's the problem of delayed social skills - how does a student participate in a team activity when social nuances are confusing? These are the students who keep the bench warm during gym class.

In other words, the students who could benefit from physical education the most end up with minimal participation.

How to Include a Student with Special Needs in Physical Education

But it doesn't have to be that way. Physical education teachers around the world are coming up with new ways to include all students and get everyone moving. Here are seven everyday challenges and solutions in physical education today, all of which can be written into a student's IEP.

1. Sensory Integration

The first two things I always notice about phys ed classes are the loud music and fluorescent lights in the gym. These are major barriers to students with some types of neurological differences. Many students are also sensitive to bright sunlight outdoors and the sound of squeaking sneakers on the gym floor, making it difficult for physical education teachers to find an appropriate location for class.

The music problem is easy to solve - lower the volume or turn it off. Soundproof headphones may also be used indoors, and sunglasses can be used outdoors. Schools may find other indoor lighting options that are more cost-effective, taking advantage of green energy incentives for LED light bulbs or simply shutting off some lights are relying more on natural lighting.

2. Behavior

Behavior is always a concern in physical education classes, where there's plenty of movement and incidents can happen in rapid succession. Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) are a systematic, proven method to prevent negative behaviors and increase healthy interactions. The method may be summarized as "Prevent, Teach, Reinforce." Behavioral expectations are explained from the beginning with supports such as picture schedules. Then the class material is taught through positive interactions, and the lesson is reinforced by referring back to behavioral expectations and evaluating progress.

My son's physical education teacher in fifth grade managed each class by writing out the schedule on a board in the gym. The students knew the order of the warm-up exercises and exactly how many minutes each segment of the class would take. My son thrived in this environment and even memorized all of the warm-up rotations to do at home.

3. Class Size

In some school districts, physical education classes are becoming larger and larger due to budget constraints. For example, in Detroit Public Schools, a single physical education class may have 180 students co-taught by 2 phys ed teachers. One of my son's former coaches teaches in that environment, and she says that it takes more than 10 minutes of class time just to take attendance and make sure each student has a ball.

By working with the school's social worker, it is possible to create a positive experience for a student with special needs in a super-sized class. Peer-to-peer support groups can work together in class to ensure full inclusion. For example, when my son was having trouble with his gym locker, another student offered to share his locker with him. When the class separates into teams, 4 or 5 other students make sure that my son understands the rules and his role on the team.

4. Team Building

Physical Education is the perfect opportunity for team building exercises. Instead of competitive games, the class can focus on creative games that only succeed when a whole team works together. "Ants on a log" is my first-grader's favorite game.

In first and second grade, my son's phys ed teacher excelled at team building. Before any game, he explained that the students had to stay with their team and help their team members reach the goal - leaving a team member behind was never an option.

5. Professional Development

Many teachers of physical education complain about a lack of professional development opportunities. Scheduling is a problem because of coaching duties before and after school, and most continuing education programs are geared toward teachers of academic subjects.

An increasing number of teacher certification programs offer classes in Adaptive Physical Education. The Adaptive Physical Education National Standards (APENS) organization promotes teacher certification in 15 standards for physical education, and its goal is to place a nationally certified Adapted Physical Educator (CAPE) within every school district in the USA. Understanding even just a few of these standards can go a long way toward inclusion in physical education.

Attending an IEP is another way for physical education teachers to become involved in the process of inclusion. With the social worker and other therapists in attendance, it is possible to develop goals that fit the physical education curriculum and are tailored to a student's unique needs.

None of my son's physical education teachers have ever attended his IEPs, but I make it a point to talk to them during teacher conferences and to approach them whenever I see them at school. I share information about my son's progress in motor skills, and they share information about class structure that I can use at home. The team-based approach isn't just for students!

6. Accessibility

In 2010, the US Department of Education made recommendations to increase accessibility in physical education classes. Hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt may be dangerous for individuals with dyspraxia, and softer surfaces such as sand or wood chips make it difficult to maneuver a wheelchair.

Gym surfaces and outdoor mats are one way to make physical education more accessible. Another way is to level the playing field by having the whole class play a game such as sitting volleyball or scooter soccer.

7. Alternatives

In some cases, enrollment in a physical education class is not feasible. But it is still possible to incorporate physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits into a special education curriculum:

take frequent "movement breaks" by going for a walk, learning to jump rope or spending 10 minutes on a playground

develop a daily 15 minute workout routine

get permission to use the school's weightlifting room - sometimes curiosity about various machines is enough to jump-start an individualized exercise program

follow through on the student's interest in a specific sport, such as tennis or gymnastics, and develop a fitness routine around that

follow through on a student's interest in fitness games on Kinect or Wii

It has been demonstrated again and again that physical education enhances cognitive function and academic performance. Social skills and collaborative teamwork are also benefits of a balanced physical education program. So let's make physical education inclusive and accessible to all students so that they can learn the life lessons that can't be taught in a traditional classroom.

You may also be interested in: What You Need to Know About Students with Special Needs and Participation in Interscholastic Athletics

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7 Ways to Include a Student with Special Needs in Physical Education - Friendship Circle - Special Needs Blog

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Does your child participate in physical education at school? Physical education teachers around the world are coming up with new ways to include all students and get everyone moving. Here are seven everyday challenges and solutions in physical education today, all of which can be written into a student's IEP.