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Adapted Physical Education

 
Education Encyclopedia: Adapted Physical Education
 
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Adapted physical education (APE) is specially designed instruction in physical education intended to address the unique needs of individuals. While the roots of adapted physical education can be traced back to Swedish medical gymnastics in the 1700s, adapted physical education, as practiced today, has been significantly shaped by the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act, enacted in 1997, amended the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which was enacted in 1975 and stipulated that all children with disabilities had a right to special education.

The Idea Mandates

Specifically, IDEA defined special education as "specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents or guardians, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including - (A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals, and institutions, and in other settings; and (B) instruction in physical education." The inclusion of physical education in the definition of special education is significant for two reasons. First, it identified physical education as a direct service that must be provided to all students who qualify for special education services as opposed to related services, such as physical or occupational therapy, that are required only when they are needed for a child to benefit from a special education service. Second, it highlighted the importance of physical education for students with disabilities.

IDEA also defined physical education, mandated that all special education services be delivered in the least restrictive environment (LRE), and prescribed a management document called an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Physical education was defined as "the development of: (A) physical and motor fitness; (B) fundamental motor skills and patterns; and (C) skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports." IDEA further delineated that "physical education services, specially designed if necessary, must be made available to every handicapped child receiving a free appropriate public education" and that "if specially designed physical education is prescribed in a child's individualized education program, the public agency responsible for the education of that child shall provide the service directly, or make arrangements for it to be provided through other public or private programs."

With respect to LRE, IDEA stated the following: "To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including those in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who do not have disabilities; and … special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature and severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily."

To ensure that IDEA was implemented as intended, the act required that IEPs must be developed and monitored for all students who qualify for special education. The IEP is developed by a team and includes the student's present level of performance; annual goals and short-term instructional objectives; specific educational services that will be provided and the extent to which the student will participate in regular education programs; any needed transition services; the projected dates for the initiation and duration of services; and objective criteria and procedures for evaluating, at least annually, progress on the stated goals and instructional objectives.

Finally, IDEA mandated that qualified personnel deliver special education instruction. In this context, "qualified" meant that a person has "met State educational agency approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements which apply to the area in which he or she is providing special education or related services."

In summary, the legal basis for adapted physical education results from the mandates that require that all students who qualify for special education must receive physical education. If specially designed physical education is required, then these services must be stated in the IEP, delivered in the LRE, and provided by a qualified teacher.

It is important to note that while IDEA requires that all students who qualify for special education have a right to adapted physical education if needed to address their unique needs, adapted physical education is, can, and should be provided to all students who have unique physical and motor needs that cannot be adequately addressed in the regular physical education program. It is not uncommon, for example, for many students to have temporary orthopedic disabilities such as sprained ankles, broken limbs, or muscle strains during their school years. Short-term APE programs would be appropriate for these students both to assist in the rehabilitation of their injuries and to minimize any fitness and/or skill deficits that may occur during their recovery. Other students may have mild physical or health impairments, such as asthma or diabetes, that do not interfere with their educational performance enough to qualify them for special education but that are severe enough to warrant special accommodations and considerations in physical education.

In the United States physical education and most major sport/recreation programs for youth are school centered, hence the emphasis on education in the terms physical education and adapted physical education. In other countries, physical education, recreation, and sport are commonly conducted independent or outside of the schools and sponsored by other organizations and agencies. In these settings, the term adapted physical activity may be used instead of adapted physical education.

Trends and Issues

Although IDEA has provided a sound legal basis for adapted physical education, there are still a number of issues that need to be resolved by the profession to ensure that the physical and motor needs of all students with disabilities are appropriately addressed. Two major issues relate to who is qualified to provide APE services and how decisions are made regarding the appropriate physical education placement for students with disabilities.

Who is qualified? While IDEA specified that physical education services, specially designed if necessary, must be made available to every child with a disability receiving a free appropriate education, it stopped short of defining who was qualified to provide these services. IDEA stated that it was the responsibility of the states to establish teacher certification requirements. Unlike other special education areas (e.g., teachers of individuals with mental retardation or learning disabilities), most states did not have in place defined certification requirements for teachers of adapted physical education. Given the fiscal constraints placed on schools by the mandates of IDEA, most states were reluctant to place additional demands on their schools by forcing them to hire APE specialists. As a result, by 1991 only fourteen states had actually defined an endorsement or certification in adapted physical education.

The existence of a mandate that required that services be provided but that did not define who was qualified to provide these services created a dilemma for both teachers and students. In many cases, regular physical educators with little or no training related to individuals with disabilities and/or therapists with no training in physical education were assigned the responsibility of addressing the physical education needs of students with disabilities. Since these teachers do not have the prerequisite skills to address the needs of these students, these needs are largely going unaddressed. To respond to this situation, the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID) created national standards and a voluntary national certification exam for adapted physical education. The adapted physical education national standards (APENS) delineate the content that adapted physical educators should know across fifteen standards. The national exam has been administered annually since 1997 at more than eighty test sites in the United States.

While the creation of the APE national standards and the national certification exam have been significant steps toward addressing the issue of who is qualified to teach APE, much more work still needs to be done. The NCPERID is working with a small number of states on developing a process through which states can adopt the NCPERID APE standards and APE national certification exam as their state credential. It is hoped that a uniform certification similar to the APENS exam will be adopted by all states by 2010, and this issue will be resolved.

How are placement decisions made? The intent of defining physical education as a direct service, specially designed if necessary, in IDEA was to ensure that the physical and motor development needs of these students were not ignored or sacrificed at the expense of addressing other educational needs. This emphasis was warranted given the extensive research documenting marked physical and motor development delays and increased health risks (e.g., coronary heart disease and obesity) in many children with disabilities. There is also a wealth of research that has shown that well-designed and implemented physical education programs can reduce both physical and motor delays and many health risks in students with disabilities. While the intent of the law was clear, how it has been implemented has been less then optimal.

What has happened in many schools is that the majority, if not all, of the students with disabilities are being dumped into regular physical education classes. The justification for this practice can be linked to a number of subissues. First, like many other problems in the schools, most schools were not provided with sufficient resources to implement the mandates of IDEA. Given the need to comply with legal mandates and limited resources, many schools were forced to look for ways to meet the letter of the law using their existing resources. Two particular mandates shaped this behavior. First, part of the LRE mandate stated that students with disabilities be educated in the regular education environments to the maximum extent appropriate. Second, the IEP mandates required only that specially designed services be defined and monitored in the IEP. Many schools therefore deduced that if they put all the students with disabilities in regular physical education, then they would be addressing part of the LRE mandate and at the same time avoiding the additional time, effort, and costs related to actually creating specially designed physical education programs. Fiscally this solution was very attractive given that most schools lacked qualified personnel who were trained to assess the physical and motor needs of students with disabilities and who could make appropriate decisions regarding what would be the most appropriate (LRE) physical education environment in which to address their needs.

Ideally, this practice would have been identified and stopped during the early years of implementing the law via the required state and federal monitoring procedures. Unfortunately, it was not for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was that the IEP document was used as the primary monitoring document. Because physical education was not identified as a needed specially designed service, it was not monitored. In the rare cases in which parents understood their rights and demanded specially designed physical education to meet the unique needs of their child, schools tended to handle these requests on an individual basis and subcontract to have these services delivered.

The approach to stopping the practice of placing all students with special needs in regular physical education must be multifaceted. The ideal solution would be simply for schools to hire qualified adapted physical educators as intended by the law. This solution, however, is not as simple as it may initially appear. First, schools would have to recognize that their current physical education placement practices were wrong and then be motivated to make a change. In many schools these practices have gone on unquestioned for more than twenty years. In addition, there are no new fiscal resources to hire the additional teachers needed to correct this problem. To obtain additional public monies to fund these positions, schools would have to explain why these new teachers were needed and why they had not provided these appropriate services in the past.

Resolving the problem of inappropriate placement of students with disabilities into regular physical education is important not only for the students with disabilities but also for the regular education students and the regular physical education teachers. Research in the field has repeatedly shown that many regular physical educators feel unprepared to address the needs of students with disabilities and that trying to accommodate the needs of these students has a negative impact on all the students in their classes.

Recognizing the dilemma schools face in resolving this problem, the issue is being addressed at two levels. The first level is to educate schools and state departments of education about this problem and recommend that they develop both long-and short-term solutions. An example of a long-term solution would be to require schools to hire certified adapted physical educators as replacements when existing physical educators retire or leave for other positions. An example of a short-term solution would be to use in-service training programs for school administrators and regular physical educators. These programs would focus on educating them on what is appropriate physical education and then providing them with some of the fundamental skills needed to offer a continuum of alternative placements in physical education as intended by the LRE requirements. The second level is to educate parents via the various parent advocacy organizations regarding their rights and what should be involved in making an appropriate placement decision in relation to physical education. This information would allow parents to make more informed decisions and to advocate for appropriate physical education services for their children.

Training

Through competitive grant provisions associated with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and subsequently IDEA, a number of colleges and universities have developed pre-service adapted physical education teacher-training programs. Because adapted physical education training builds upon the traditional teacher training in physical education, most adapted physical education training occurs at the master's level. Most undergraduate physical education teacher preparation programs now include at least one APE course as part of their required curriculum. In recent years, many regular physical education teacher-training programs have also started to offer three-to twelve-credit emphases or minor areas of study in adapted physical education as part of their undergraduate programs. These emphasis areas typically are composed of one to three theory courses and one to two practical experiences where the students can apply their APE course work.

Bibliography

Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. U.S. Public Law 94-142. U.S. Code. Vol. 20, secs. 1401 et seq.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. U.S. Public Law 105-17. U.S. Code. Vol. 20, secs. 1400 et seq.

Kelly, Luke E., ed. 1995. Adapted Physical Education National Standards. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Rimmer, James H. 1994. Fitness and Rehabilitation Programs for Special Populations. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark.

Sherrill, Claudine. 1998. Adapted Physical Activity, Recreation, and Sport: Crossdisciplinary and Lifespan, 5th edition. Dubuque, IA: MCB/McGraw-Hill.

Winnick, Joseph P., ed. 2000. Adapted Physical Education and Sport, 3rd edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Internet Resources

International Federation for Adapted Physical Activity. 2002. www.per.ualberta.ca/rhc/IFAPA/mainframe.htm.

National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. 2002 www.uwlax.edu/sah/ncperid/.

North American Federation on Adapted Physical Activity. 2002. ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/nafapa.

Sportime. 2002. "Adapt-talk." www.lyris.sportime.com/.

Texas Woman's University. 2002. "Adapted Physical Education National Standards." www.twu.edu/APENS.

— LUKE E. KELLY

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Wikipedia: Adapted Physical Education
 
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia

Adapted Physical Education (APE) is a sub-discipline of physical education. It is an individualized program created for students who require a specially designed program for more than 30 days. The program involves physical fitness, motor fitness, fundamental motor skills and patterns, aquatics skills, dance skills, individual, group games, and sports (including lifetime sports). For people with disabilities, adapted physical education provides safe, personally satisfying, and successful experiences related to physical activity, rather than a sedentary alternative program. Adapted Physical Education is a direct service, not a related service.

Contents

Students Who Receive Services

Students who qualify for adapted physical education include people with disabilities as specified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This includes children who have:

Autism

developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, genearlly evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's education performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Blindness

concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.

Deafness

hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Emotional Disturbance

Condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance: inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; and a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

This term also incluces schizophrenia.

Hearing Impairment

Impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section.

Mental Retardation

Significantly subaverge general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's education performance.

Multiple Disabilities

Concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation- orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments.

The term does not include deaf-blindness.

Orthopedic Impairment

Severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

Other Health Impairment

Having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respects to the educational environment, that: is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Specific Learning Disability

General: disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.

Disorders not included: learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Speech or Language Impairment

Communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Traumatic Brain Injury

An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgement; problem-solving; sensory; perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech.

The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Visual Impairment Including Blindness

An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.

This term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Infants and toddlers who need early intervention services because of developmental delays in cognitive, physical, communication, social, emotional or adaptive development can also qualify for adapted physical education. The state can chose to include infants and toddlers who are under three-years old who are “at risk” for experiencing a developmental delay if early intervention services are not provided.

Students who qualify under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can also receive adapted physical education. In section 504, a person with a disability is anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities, has a record of impairment, or is regarded as having an impairment.

A fourth group of students who might qualify for adapted physical education are students who are recuperating from injuries, accidents, recovering from noncommunicable diseases, are overweight, have low skills levels, or have low levels of physical fitness. This group is not covered by legislation, but a school district can decide to develop a plan to meet these students’ physical education needs.

Examples of the impairments highlighted in the above two paragraphs include, but are not limited to: AIDS, alcoholism, blindess or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, drug addiction, heart disease, mental illness, and ADD/ADHD.

Adapted physical education serves people of all ages.

Laws

Some key laws that have been influential in the advancement of APE.

No Child Left Behind

Created in 2001, This act puts significant federal support behind the improvement of reading and mathematics scores and compromises other critical curricular areas, including physical education, health, history, art, computer science, and music

American with Disabilities Act (P.L. 101-336)

Created in 1990, The act expanded civil rights protections for individual with disabilities in the public and private sectors. ADA outlaws discrimination against a person with a disability in employment, public services and transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

First created in 1990, but has been updated several times. In 1990, IDEA continued the emphasis upon FAPE, IEP, LRE, and physical education as a direct, educational service. In 1999, IDEA was reauthorized, the reauthorization emphasized education for learners with disabilities in the general education program and increased the emphasis on parental participation in the assessment and IEP process.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142)

Created in 1975, the act mandated: (a) free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years; (b) Individualized Education Plan; (c) education in the Least Restrictive Environment; and (d) physical education as a direct, educational service.

The Rehabilitation Act (P.L. 93-112, Section 504)

Created in 1973, The act mandated that individuals with disabilities cannot be excluded from any program or activity receiving federal funds solely on the basis of the disability.

Individual Education Program or IEP

IEP stands for Individual Education Program.

Purpose Federal law mandates that each individual with a disability under IDEA have an IEP developed for him/her.

An IEP is a written statement for each SWD developed by a meeting with representatives from the local educational agency, the teacher, the parents or guardian, and the student, if appropriate, for the purpose of establishing an appropriate educational placement. Some consider the IEP to be a “management” program to guide appropriate service delivery, which includes the area of physical education. An IEP should include a statement of:

  • present level of performance
  • annual goals
  • short term objectives
  • needed transition services
  • projected dates of services
  • appropriate evaluation procedures

What are the steps in the assessment and IEP processes - include timelines?

  1. Referral - Student can be referred by several sources for example: teacher, parent, or administrator
  2. Obtain consent
  3. Screening/checklist (preliminary), check history/background, (formal testing)
  4. Talk with PT, OT, Special Ed teacher, (have conversations)
  5. Observations (natural setting, 3 times, interviews with teachers and student
  6. Test
  7. Strengths and Weaknesses
  8. Develop IEP/Goals
  9. Decide Placement
  10. Implement IEP
  11. Revisit every year / Test every 3 years

Who must be present at an IEP for physical education meeting? Does the regular physical educator have to attend?

  • The student when appropriate
  • The parent(s) or guardian(s), or a designated representative.
  • A representative of the school administration, other than the child’s teacher, who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education
  • The student’s special educator
  • At least one general educator, if the child will receive any services in the general education program
  • A member of the evaluation team or a professional able to interpret assessment data
  • Any direct or related service personnel who have assessed the student
  • The school nurse, particularly if the student has a chronic and/or serious medical condition and/or requires special medical procedures in order to function in the school environment
  • An interpreter as required
  • Representatives of community agencies that will be responsible for implementing individual transition plans
  • The regular physical educator does not have to attend unless there is a case where a student’s present level of performance is needed from the regular physical educator and they are against the student needing an IEP.

What is the regular physical educator’s role in maintaining the IEP?

  • Be sure to document progress and achievement of IEP goals.
  • Assess the student in the areas of motor skills, sports skills, and physical fitness and give that information to the IEP team so appropriate IEP goals can be written for the student.
  • Work closely with the related service providers, such as the physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist.
  • Talk with your administrator and make sure he/she understands the importance of your participation in all phases of the IEP process (assessment, team meetings, goal writing, updates, etc.)

IEP Tips

  1. State the positive first
  2. State strengths and progress first
  3. State needs as areas for growth, not weaknesses
  4. Make parents feel comfortable (chat, eye-contact, smile, care)
  5. Bring documentation of results and progress
  6. Allow conversation, but move forward if needed
  7. Propose pertinent, measurable, and attainable goals
  8. Don’t expect perfection
  9. Communicate well
  10. Explain the results of the test
  11. Bring video documentation to back up your data

Do all students with disabilities need an IEP for physical education? If not, who qualifies for an IEP in physical education?

No, federal law mandates that each individual with a disability only under IDEA (13 disabilities) have an IEP developed for him/her.

  1. Autism
  2. Blindness
  3. Deafness
  4. Emotional Disturbance
  5. Hearing Impairment
  6. Mental Retardation
  7. Multiple Disabilities
  8. Orthopedic Impairment
  9. Other Health Impairment
  10. Specific Learning Disability
  11. Speech or Language Impairment
  12. Traumatic Brain Injury
  13. Visual Impairment Including Blindness

Also, if the students Least Restrictive Environment, or LRE, is general physical education, then they do not need an IEP either.

Adaptations

There are four basic ways to adapt or modify any activity for a student with a disability. By adapting any area or multiple areas, a student will have more success in class and the teacher will be able to provide a better learning experience for the student. The four modification areas are:

  1. Equipment – easiest area to modify, options are almost unlimited. Objects should vary in size, shape, color, weight, and texture. Equipment should represent the present skill level of a student. A student with a visual impairment should use a brightly colored ball or other object during a striking unit. For some students, especially students with autism, it is important to have equipment which can be weight-bearing. Some students will need to wear backpacks to help with the stimulation process.
  2. Environment – limiting play area when movement capabilities are limited or restricted. Having a designated area for equipment when the activity is done (usually behind a mat) so students are not distracted during instruction or during the next activity. Having a certain area in the gymnasium, for students who have autism, helps if they need time to relax. Lighting and sound also play a vital role in the environmental setting for students with autism. Students with autism can observe minute changes which may be extremely distracting.
  3. Instructions – permitting the substitution or interchange of game and/or activity duties by determining positions in games that work with the abilities of the student. Using a variety of different instructional strategies such as verbal, visual, guided discovery and peer teaching are great ways to adapt instruction in APE. Using a variety of instructional strategies can give the students the opportunity to start learning on their own and to become more independent. Picture books are also very important in terms of instruction. Some students need to hear and see what they are supposed to do throughout the day. Students rely heavily on picture books and are thrown off if activities do not occur how they should.
  4. Rules – rule changes will help to equalize competition. Rules can also be modified to challenge different skill levels within an APE class. If a student with a disability is in an inclusion class, adapting and modifying rules is important for the students' success. Changing rules for a game in an inclusion class can also help a student with a disability become more involved. For example, during game play the team scores one point if the student with a disability is not involved in the scoring process, two points if they help score the point. Another example for rule modification to create success for a student with a disability would be to give them extra attempt at a skill where general students have only a limited number of attempts, i.e. strikes in baseball.

Another option for modification can be time; providing extra time or allowing a student additional rest. In each area a number of changes can be made for almost any activity.

APE teachers do not need to reinvent the wheel when looking for activities or games for students with disabilities. APE teachers can take activities used in general physical education and modify or adapt these activities for students with disabilities. If the APE teacher makes the proper modifications, the inclusion or APE experience for the student with a disability and the students without disabilities will be more enjoyable and productive. Making these modifications will hopefully increase practice time and success in an inclusion or APE setting.

Equipment such as standing frames and other assistive technology can make the environment more inclusive for children who ambulate with a wheelchair.

For throwing and catching balls it will be helpful to use a variety of balls. For throwing and shooting at a target smaller balls work best. For striking, kicking, and catching, bigger balls will create more success for students. These include yarn balls that do not bounce away and are easy to catch because students can grab onto the yarn. Wiffle balls are recommended because they are lightweight. Beach balls are useful because they are large and soft to catch. Giving the students the option of which ball to choose allows them the opportunity to create their own level of skill development. If a student seems to be struggling with a certain ball or a certain ball is not challenging enough, just suggest a different ball that you would like to see them try to use. For students with visual impairments, use multicolored balls and balls with bells in them that make sound as they roll. Placing a ball in a plastic grocery bag, placing a bell inside of a balloon, and attaching bells to student's shoes are simple ways to accommodate students with visual impairments. A catapult works great for students who may have cerebral palsy or limb limitations during throwing and aiming activities. This can help involve the students in activities they may have been limited in. Catapults are also great for arm and hand strength development for students who have cerebral palsy or limited mobility of their arms and hands.

For kicking a variety of balls can also be used to benefit the students. For students who ambulate with a wheelchair, large balls bigger than soccer balls will be helpful. For students with cerebral palsy, a stationary ball can be used.

ADAPT-A-BAG

Adapted Physical Education (APE) teachers are always on the go and may be pressed for time to adapt an activity during APE, this is why it is important to develop or make an adapt-a-bag for these circumstances. An adapt-a-bag, is a bag an APE teacher can bring to each of his or her teaching areas, which can help modify or adapt an activity for a variety of disabilities.

Some simple items to put in an adapt-a-bag are duck tape, velcro, string, dry erase board, bells (jiggling bells inside a balloon), shiny objects, pvc pipe (large and small - one for guide line and one for ramp),plastic shopping bag, and straws. Other objects which may cost little money are blinking balls, bubbles, bubble wrap, horns,jinggling bells inside a balloon, beep balls, and stimulating balls. It is important to remember there can never be too many items in an adapt-a-bag. House hold items are great for making modifications in APE, it is important to always be looking and searching for items which can be put into an adapt-a-bag.

Along with these adaptations it is important to understand the individual's disability. For instance if a student has a Vestibular disability they may need an object that is easier to track. A balloon or a larger ball would be a great adaptation for this student. These students may also be very unstable, so something as simple as a mat beneath them while performing an activity could be a valuable adaptation.

Different varitey Another suggestion for the Adapt-A-bag would be to have a variety of colors for the items in the bag. Students with Autism may prefer and perform better with a certain colored item.

Autism

Autism is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. When teaching students with Autism it is good to be aware of the student’s sensory triggers. For example some students have overly sensitive senses. For a student with overly sensitive hearing being in a gym with a stereo playing loud music and peers running around and screaming must be the sensory trigger that causes a negative reaction in class. Another example or sensory issues would be students who are hypersensitive in their propreoceptors. This means that these students are overly sensitive in their joints. So someone giving them a high five could trigger a negative response. There could also be the opposite effect where students are hyposensitive which means there are under stimulated in their joints and may need weighted objects to even feel them. Knowing how each students senses works will help determine the type of equipment, instruction, and placement each student with autism needs.Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). It is estimated that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Common Characteristics

Hard to function within the school environment and they may struggle with expressive and receptive language.

Display unusual gross and fine motor behaviors

Here are some examples that you might see in....

  • Striking
  • Hands flapping
  • Pacing
  • Spinning
  • Running in circles
  • Twirling a string
  • Tearing paper
  • Drumming
  • Flipping light switches
  • A slight shaking of the hand in front of the face

Atypical ways of students with autism communicate

  • Have temper tantrums
  • Grabbing teachers hand (taking teacher where he/she wants to be)
  • Performing self and other aggression.

Teaching Tips

  • Use visuals
  • Avoid long strings of verbal instruction
  • Encourage development of child’s special talents
  • Use child’s fixations to motivate school work
  • Use concrete, visual methods to teach number concepts
  • Protect child from sounds that hurt his/her ears
  • Use weighted vests to calm nervous system
  • Interact with child while he/she is swinging or rolled in a mat
  • Don’t ask child to look and listen at the same time
  • Teach with tactile learning materials
  • Use printed words and pictures on a flashcard
  • Use a consistent beginning and ending to an activity

Spina Bifida

Some tips for an individual with Spina Bifida could be adapting activities that can be played with the use of crutches, braces, or wheel chairs. The use of a helmet may also be necessary in case the student has a shunt. This will help to prevent further head injuries. This may also be done with the use of a soft foam ball or balloons, but be sure the student is not allergic to latex, because this is a common problem with individual with this disability. Individuals with Spina Bifida do make great athletes, so it is important to modify and develop an assortment of games and activities for these individuals. These individuals can become very mobile and skilled in wheelchairs, so introducing these individuals to games such as tennis, basketball, swimming, and even racquetball can be great for this skill development and also social interaction in the community.

Cerebral Palsy

Some suggestions for an individual with Cerebral Palsy(CP) are to do more stretching exercises.(((Make sure that you consult the students PT (physical therapist before you do the stretches)) The disease causes their muscles to have tendency to become very tight so a slow stretch can be helpful to reduce the tone. You can also work on body positioning, and strength exercises to help the student gain enough strength to support their own body weight.

Some adaptations for students with CP:
Student in wheel chair- Can hold one handle on the parachute with the edge of his/her chair.
Child with Quadriplegic spastic- If in dance session child can hold bells or some type of instrument.
Child with Ataxia- Teacher can hold student in lap if doing a circle game.
Aquatics- Vital part of curriculum for students with CP. The buoyancy of the water frees the child from the pull of gravity, allows for greater range of motion.
Some exercises for students with CP:
Gravity Exercises- Exercise the involves lifting the weight of the body or body part.
Gait Training- To teach or re-teach walking patterns.
Body Mechanics- Lifting techniques to obtain maximum use of the large muscle groups of the body.

Visual Impairments

Individuals with a visual impairment may be more successful in a well-lit room. It may also help to keep objects in a routine place so they can become accustomed to knowing were they are. The use of audio devices in equipment and different textured equipment may also be very beneficial. Using of guidelines, and brightly colored boundaries can also help these individuals to be more successful in the physical education setting. Some safety concerns for these individual would be to let them were protective goggles and keep the floor clear of any tripping hazards.

Also with students that have a visual impairment they might also be more successful with a certain color. Some students who can partially see maybe be able to see a certain color better than another and you should use this type of color for the activity that is going on to make them more successful.

Hearing Impairments

Individuals with a hearing impairment may need to use a guide in class. It is also important to keep their learning environment free of excessive noise to include music while giving instruction. They may need a shorter more direct instruction when it comes to activities. Visual indicators are also more important for these students to understand the beginning and end of game play. Students with a hearing impairment also tend to perform better in small groups and understand better if the instructor speaks clearly.

Here are some behavioral characteristics of a student that is hearing impaired might show:

  • Lack of attention
  • imitates others
  • responds to noises instead of words
  • lack of speech development
  • turns or cocks head
  • acts out
  • preoccupied with things and not people
  • works best in small groups
  • uses gestures
  • reluctant to participate orally
  • monotone quality in voice
  • difficulty in following directions
These are just a few that a student might show in the class room that could be noticed very easily.

Some motor characteristics of an individual with a hearing impaired might be: The impairment of the semicircular canals, vestibule of the inner ear, and/or vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve which has a negative effect on balance. Congenitally deaf/hearing impaired individuals have poorer balance than those with acquired deafness. This means that if a individual was born with a hearing impairment that their balance is poorer than an individual that has acquired the deafness through some sort of means like: Excessive exposure to loud noise which can damage the tiny hairs in the cochlea and lead to hearing loss. This condition is known as noise-induced hearing loss. This individual was able to learn how to walk and balance before the hearing loss.

Muscular Dystrophy

Individuals with Muscular Dystrophy may tire quickly, are almost always in a wheel chair. Lifetime activities these individuals can perform in their chair can be beneficial to them. Activities that involve breathing practices can also be beneficial for these students. Remember these students will be losing strength increasingly as they grow older.

Transition

In 1990, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in order to make significant alterations to the Education of All Handicapped Act of 1975. For example, IDEA redefined the purpose and process of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). One significant change to the IEP was a newly required transition statement, which was to be developed no later than a student's 16th birthday (Modell & Megginson, 2001).

Transition is the successful movement from a student in school to a productive, quality, and meaningful adult life. Effective transition is based on the individuals' needs, and consists of coordinated activities in the following areas: Education, Career, Community, Communication, Social Interaction, Recreation and Leisure. (Not every transition program will be the same; it is dependent upon the individual. Transition, as defined by IDEA 1997, is “…a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process which promotes movement form school to post-school activities, including post secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. (IDEA, 1997, Section 602.30) Furthermore, according to federal legislation, students 14 years and older are required to attain planning methods provided by the Adapted Physical Education Transition Model (Strategies for Success Transition, 2003, 98). All methods provide greater opportunity for students to transition into a more productive, and meaningful adult life.

Given their ever-expanding role, adapted physical educators must pay attention to this issue. As adapted physical educators it is important to provide students with experiences and resources during their time in an educational setting so the students have a better chance of staying physically active during and after the transition period. Expanding and exploring students ideas and knowledge about physical activity is essential for success outside of the education setting.

Transition in adapted physical education helps students with disabilities move towards community involvement through healthy and independent lifestyles. The first crucial element in a successful transition is for the student’s IEP team to have a well developed and defined vision based on the students strengths, needs, and preferences. (Savage, 2005, 46)

It is essential for transition to be part of the school’s curriculum. Without transitioning a student into real life situations he or she may have a difficult time taking part in some of the lifetime activities they learned throughout their time in school and thus have a more sedentary lifestyle leading to more health risks and issues. By putting transitioning into a schools curriculum it will increase the overall learning experience for students in adapted physical education. The curriculum for APE in the school setting should focus on developing the students' fitness, motor skills, sport skills, social-skill training, community adjustment, and take part in a recreation and leisure survey. During the transition period more focus should be put on fitness, sport, disability sport, friendships, community participation, and recreation and leisure(Modell & Megginson, 2001). If more focus is put in the curriculum during the years students with disabilities are in the school, the smoother the transition process with go.

Transitioning prepares students for life outside of school. Participation and experiences in leisure activities provides opportunities for skill and competency development needed to successfully participate in a variety of activities upon leaving school (Modell & Megginson, 2001, 45). As an adapted physical educator it is important to talk with the family and find some physical activities the family enjoys so you can help your student learn the knowledge and skills to participate with their family. Leisure activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Aquatics
  • Bowling
  • Rock Climbing
  • Water Skiing
  • Gymnastics
  • Golf
  • Water Polo
  • Canoeing
  • Track and Field
  • Horseshoes

While teaching students leisure activities, it is critical to provide information of appropriate facilities. Community clubs, organizations, and parks provide many opportunities for students to remain active. Many community resources have programs specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. The adapted physical education teacher should be familiar with these programs and utilize them as a regular part of the students' transition program. The APE teacher should also stress functional transition skills, such as the proper use of fitness equipment or how to use an electronic identification card to sign in at a fitness center. Individuals with disabilities who have greater access to, and actively participate in recreation and leisure activities are more satisfied with their lives (Harner & Heal, 1993). In addition, when engaged in recreation and leisure activities, opportunities of success in communities increases for individuals with disabilities (Modell & Megginson, 2001, 45). The formation of a reverse mainstreaming physical education program will also help in the transition of the student with a disability. This program can benefit both the student with a disability and the peer mentor as together they will attempt to achieve better physical fitness skills, improved social skills, and higher standards of social and personal responsibilities.

Transition related to the adapted physical education curricular area focuses on most of the previously listed areas. Students will not only learn how to do an activity, but the progressive skills it takes to have the opportunity to complete the activity in a community based setting. Such skills can include the following:

  • Finding the information about the activity
  • Finding time of operation for places
  • Figuring out transportation
  • Know how to perform the activity independently
  • Finding a way to fit the activity into the individual's weekly schedule.

These all include social interaction and various means of communication. Students will need to be taught many skills beyond the normal adapted physical education curriculum in order to achieve lifetime physical activity.

Some ideas for the student to find what interests him/her to help with transition 4–5 years prior to graduation:

  • Take a community education class.
  • Attend events to learn spectator or audience member skills.
  • Learn how to plan recreation and leisure activities (where, when, cost, transportation).
  • Establish exercise routines.
  • Join a club or an organization in your community.

3 years prior to graduation:

  • Explore new ways to use your free time.
  • Identify supports needed to participate in activities of interest.

2 years prior to graduation:

  • Try additional recreation and leisure activities.

1 year prior to graduation:

  • Continue to take part in activities of interest.

1–2 years after graduation:

  • Join and participate in adult recreation activities. (Auxter, Pyfer & Huettig, 2005, 97).

The process of transition can work very well with students, however this process does not happen overnight. Students will need the appropriate amount of time to learn all of the necessary skills. Transition services become a part of a student's education at the age of 14 or 16 depending on the school district and continue until the student is 22 years of age. At this time, an Individual Transition Plan is developed with goals and objectives written in person first language, specific to the individual student to ensure their abilities to function in the community when they graduate. The members involved in developing the Individual Transition Plan should be the IEP team members. The IEP team members should have the following questions in mind:

  1. What interests or hobbies do the students and his or her family enjoy doing?
  2. What knowledge and competencies does the student need in order to move from school-based to community based living in their particular community.
  3. What knowledge and prior experience does the student already have?
  4. What knowledge and experience will the student need to be successful?
  5. What will the student's living situation be like after high school?
  6. Will the student be employed in the area? Will working interfere with recreation/leisure time? If so, how will the student stay active?

As is true in most aspects of adapted physical education, the skills practiced during the transition process tend to be most successful when the students have an opportunity to contribute to the decision making process. Also, providing sufficient amounts of repeated trials will drastically improve the students' level of success.

Example of a Transition Plan

Making a Leisure Transition Plan (LTP) is a great way to help and aid an individual with a disability during the transition process. The purpose of the LTP is to develop the student's ability to select and participate in activities in the community during his or her free time. Specialists from the APE field must be aware of physical recreation opportunities available in the community; determine the student's activity interests, preferences, and needs: and then include these activities in the student's physical education curricula and LTP. Here is an example of a LTP(Krueger & DiRocoo, 2000):

Transition Goal #1
Cindy will increase her awareness and use of public transportation.
Transition Activities
  • Cindy will meet with a representative from Valley Transit to discuss bus routes.
  • Cindy will experience getting on and off a bus with the use of a lift, while in her wheelchair.
  • Cindy will verbally demonstrate her understanding of the proper way to anchor a wheelchair inside the bus.
  • Cindy will map out a schedule to and from a destination (field trip), identifying bus routes, departure, and arrival times.
  • Cindy will use Valley Transit as a means of transportation for a field trip.
  • Cindy will meet with a representative of Medi-Vans to receive information on rules and regulations, cost, and how to schedule trips.
  • Cindy will experience getting in and out of a Medi-Van while in her wheelchair.
  • Cindy will receive information to share with her parents on the procedure for obtaining an ADA card (use with Medi-Van).
  • Cindy will call to schedule transportation for a field trip using Medi-Vans.
  • Cindy will travel on a field trip using Medi-Vans for transportation.
  • Cindy will meet with a representative from Valley Cabs to discuss how to schedule trips.
  • Cindy will schedule transportation for a field trip with Valley Cabs.
  • Cindy will use Valley Cab as a means of transportation for a field trip.
Transition Goal #2
Cindy will increase her awareness of federal legislation (ADA and IDEA).
Transition Activities
  • Cindy will do searches on the internet to locate five sites that give information on federal (disability) legislation, then print the first page of each to put in her transition portfolio for future reference.
  • Cindy will locate "ADA Accessibility Guidelines For Buildings and Facilities" on the internet, then print the Table of Contents to put in transition portfolio for future reference.
  • Cindy will locate three accessibility guidelines in ADA, record minimum requirements/measurements, and then check to see if her school building is in compliance.
  • Cindy wilt locate three advocacy sites (for persons with disabilities) on the internet, print a document from each relating to federal legislation, and study and dictate a summary of each on audio tape. Cindy will share this audiotape with her parents.
Transition Goal #3
Cindy will plan and take field trips into the community to visit sites that offer physical activities that she has indicated are of interest to her. She will observe or participate in these activities while on the field trip. Cindy will evaluate each experience.
Transition Activities
  • Cindy will identify locations and activities she would like to explore in the community.
  • Cindy will discuss with the APE specialist and/or community resource person what preparations and arrangements need to be made prior to going on the field trip (i.e. time schedules, transportation, clothing, equipment, accommodations/adaptations, and money).
  • Cindy will make arrangements for the field trip with the APE specialist and/ or community resource personnel.
  • Cindy will fill out a critique form after each community experience. Critique will address accessibility, effectiveness of accommodations/adaptations, atmosphere of community setting (i.e. friendly, helpful), and personal reactions on enjoyment and possible future participation.

Many of the activities done in adapted physical education are also done in competition. As part of transitioning to life after school an adapted physical education teacher can let the students know about athletic competitions and associations for the activities done in adapted physical education. Some organizations include: the National Beep Baseball Association, the National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA), Special Olympics International (SOI), the American Wheelchair Bowling Association (AWBA), the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), and the Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA). These and other organizations like them can also introduce the students to new activities such as beep baseball, which is a baseball game played by individuals with visual impairments and others using blindfolds. As the name suggests they use a ball that beeps as well as bases that beep. These organizations and competitions can help students get interested in an activity that will keep them active for a lifetime.

People Involved in Individual Transition Plan

These people may be involved Direct Service Providers

  • Special Educators
  • Hospital/Home bound Instructors
  • Instructors in Institutions and other settings
  • Adapted Physical Educators
  • General Physical Educators
  • Vision, Orientation and Mobility Specialists

Related Service Providers

  • Audiologists
  • Counseling Services
  • Medical Diagnostic Service Personnel
  • Occupational, Speech, Recreation and Physical Therapists
  • Parent Counselors and Trainers
  • Psychologists
  • Rehabilitation Counselors
  • Assistive Technology Service Personnel
  • School Health Service Personnel
  • Social Workers
  • Transportation Specialists
  • Transition Service Personnel (Auxter, Pyfer & Huettig, 2005, 103-12).

Advocacy for Transition

With respect to transition, adapted physical educators should first and foremost advocate that their own involvement in the post-school transition process be indicated on their students' Individualized Education Program (IEP) (Modell & Megginson, 2001). Some other areas in transition which should be brought to the attention of administrators and community officials are implementing ways in which physical activity sites can become more accessible, advocating that students with disabilities be able to participate in the entire continuum of sports programs (integrate and segregated) sponsored by the school and community; and helping parents rally for appropriate community recreation and sport opportunities for their children with disabilities (Modell & Megginson, 2001).

Barriers to Transition
  • Facilities:
  • Transportation
Transportation can become a problem during transition. Many students who have a disability cannot drive a car, so it is important to teach students, during their educational process, other means of transportation. This may mean teaching students routines on how to use the city bus system, or finding a group to car pool with, or even finding an older adult who may not mind picking up a student when they are going to the local YMCA.
  • Money
Many fitness clubs are increasing prices for membership and with increasing gas prices it may be difficult for students with disabilities to afford a membership somewhere and have the means of getting there if they are not within walking distance.
  • Planning
For many students with disabilities planning a trip to the YMCA or any facility will be difficult task. In school their schedule was planned for them and they didn't have to worry about how and when things were going to happen. As a result, planning is one of the biggest barriers to transition. Students with disabilities may need to be taught what to wear, what transportation to use, how to set up plans with friends, and how to figure out how much money they may need.
  • Lack of programs
There may be a lack of programs in a community, who have the knowledge and ability to assist individuals with disabilities. This may mean individuals with disabilities may have to participate in programs with individuals without disabilities. This may help with the socialization aspect of development, but may limit their practice and participation time. The individual may also be intimidated by the other individuals, which may push them away from that activity or program.
  • Lack of Support i.e: school, organizations, public, families...
  • Staff/ employee knowledge i.e: at local businesses, teacher assistants
  • Strange “New” places
  • Lack of Motivation
Students with a disability have received motivation by teachers, paraprofessionals, and classmates during their education process. When their education process is done these individuals may not be there to motivate and push them to become physically active. Finding out activities and sports during the education process which the student enjoys participating in can help intrisically motivate these students when they are in the transition period.
  • Limited Community Recreation Activities

Overcoming Barriers and Improving a Transition Program

Many times teachers don't know how to help students transition from high school. There are many barriers students face once out of high school. However, there are things teachers, parents, and students can do to ensure their ability to function in the community when leaving the school setting. A big barrier is the knowledge of parents. A good way to help them is to hold parent workshops. Not only are they able to talk with other parents, but also learn about different ways they can help their child transition into the community. Another thing that can be helpful is to have parent mentors. Parents who have already had their child graduate can mentor a parent whose child hasn't graduated yet. Another mentoring option is to have students who have graduated mentor a student who hasn't graduated yet. This gives them a companion and a responsibility and a feeling of importance in another child's life. Activity newsletters are also wonderful tools for parents and students to receive information about different activities and programs that go on in the community for them to get involved in.

Use of Technology

With the development of new and improved technology with physical education and especially adapted physical education it is important for the APE teacher to know and understand different ways to implement technology for a successful transitional period for his or her students. APE teachers can develop an updated website regarding a fitness workout plan, in which students, who may need to stay at home half of the day, can download and follow at home with a sibling or parents. Video files can also be used to demonstrate proper technique, and appropriate music for aerobic activities could be downloaded as well. With technology growing and becoming better each day, APE teachers need to continue to grow as professionals and try to use this to benefit and enhance their students physical development.

Adapted physical education teachers are not only required to teach students with disabilities how to stay and become physically active, but also how, when and where. APE teachers are responsible for recognizing and teaching students with disabilities how to overcome the barriers for transition. In order to achieve this APE teachers need to concentrate on activities in the community that promote a physically active lifestyle while enhancing the health and wellness of students with disabilities (Krueger, DiRocco, Felix, 2000, pg 222). Upon graduation, students with disabilities should know how to plan their activity, perform their activity and become personally responsible for participating in recreational activities on a regular basis.

University Partnerships for Transition:

  • Creates Friendships.
  • Introduce students to transportation system.
  • Provide students with an opportunity to use facilities not available at high school level.
  • Provides education for both university students and students with disabilities.
  • Great stepping stone into the transition process

References

Anchorage School District (2005). http://www.asd.k12.ak.us/depts/APE/adaptations/ Retrieved May 9, 2006.

Winnick, Joseph, P. (2005). Adapted Physical Education and Sport, Fourth Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

California State Council on Adapted Physical Education (2000). http://www.sc-ape.org/Guidelines-Index.htm/ Retrieved April 12, 2008.

http://www.pecentral.org/adapted/adaptedactivities.html

Folsom-Meek, Sherry L., Ruth J. Nearing, and Renae E. Bock. "Transitioning Children, Youths, and Young Adults with Disabilities." JOPERD 3 (2007): 38-45.

Savage, R. 2005. The Great Leap Forward: Transition into the adult World. Preventing School Failure. Summer 2005. Vol. 49, (4) Pg. 46.

Modell, S. J., & Megginson, N. L. (February 2001). Life After School: A Transition Model for Adapted Physical Educators. JOPERD, 72(2), 45-48.

Harner, C., & Heal, L. (1993). The Multifaceted Lifestyle Satisfaction Scale (MLSS): Psychometric Properties of an Interview Schedule for Assessing Personal Satisfaction of Adults with Limited Intelligence. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 14, 221-236.

Strategies for Success Transition. (January 2003). Adapted Physical Activity Quartely, 20(1), 98.

Visual aids found on http://www.campabilities.org/tvic-index.htm

Krueger, Deborah L., DiRocco, Patrick., Felix, Manny. (2000). Obstacles Adapted Physical Education Specialists Encounter When Developing Transition Plans. Adapted Physical Education Quarterly, Vol 17, pg 222-236.

Auxter, David, Pyfer, Jean, Huettig, Carol. (2005). Principles and Methods of Adapted Physical Education and Recreation. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) retrieved on April 10, 2008 http://www.vort.com/profb3.htm

United Cerebral Palsy Research Fact Sheets retrieved on April 12, 2008 http://www.ucpa.org/ucp-generalsub.cfm

Scope

retrieved on April 12, 2008 www.scope.org.uk

Muscular Dystrophy information retrieved on April 10, 2008 http://twu.edu/inspire/Fact-Sheets/muscdys.htm

Modell, Scott J., & Megginson, Nancy L. (2001). Life After School: A Transition Model for Adapted Physical Educators. JOPERD. 72(2), 45-48.

Krueger, Deborah L., & DiRocco , Patrick (2000). Obstacles Adapted Physical Education Specialists Encounter When Developing Transition Plans. APAQ. 17, 15. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=120&sid=045e7655-60b9-4237-8cd6-49f0dd2547eb%40sessionmgr109


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Education Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Education. Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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