For my first blog I would like to introduce myself and let you know what avenues I am planning to go along for this blog.
First off my name is Scott McNamara and I am a native Detroiter. I currently work as a special education teacher in Warren, MI. I have my Master's in Adapted Physical Education and my Bachelors in Special Education. I'm currently the president of a local non-profit called Camp Abilities Michigan and I teach a class to children with Autism for Oakland University.
I absolutely love what I do and would like to dedicate my blog to helping to promote education for students with disabilities. In this blog I will be keeping you updated on my camp as well as tips to create a successful non-profit. I will review educational articles and videos that may help out in the special education field. I will be doing occasional interviews with people in the field or people who influence the special education profession. I will commit a large part of my blog to discussing the benefits of adapted physical education for children with disabilities.
What is adapted physical education you say?
What is adapted physical education you say?
In most areas of the nation adapted physical education is a relatively unknown/under utilized field. But from my experience and from field based research, I can tell you that children with disabilities can benefit enormously from receiving services from a trained adapted physical educator. Physical education teaches across 3 major domains for any child, where as most other direct services and related services only teach to one domain( such as a physical therapists teaches only to psychomotor). Those 3 domains are cognitive, affective(social), and psychomotor(physical). Most children with disabilities struggle with all 3 of those domains.
Another vital aspect of physical education for children with disabilities is that there is a absurd amount of obesity rates among children with disabilities when compared to their typically developing peers. There is a much lower amount of people with disabilities that are involved in their communities. Having physical educators who are certificated to work with children with disabilities would help in both of these areas.
When I have witnessed non adapted physical educators working with children with disabilities, most of them do try to make many accommodations so that the students are successful. But try as they might, they are not trained to work with children with disabilities and many times struggle immensely with trying to modify curriculum and trying to regulate behaviors. This is no discredit to physical educators. They do not have the prior training to excel in this area and it is crazy that it is expected of them.
Adapted physical education is an aspect of the law as well. It is actually the only curriculum specially mentioned in IDEA, one of the most potent laws that defines special education rights for students with disabilities. Since this is the only curriculum that is specifically mentioned in the law, you would be under the impression that it is a very critical and needed curriculum. But whomever has interpreted the law does not agree with the lawmakers and has denied many students with disabilities their rights.
Here is the EXACT wording of the law:
I believe that this law is explained very clearly that physical education is mandatory for children with disabilities and that students with disabilities have the right to have specially designed physical education services if needed. Yet still their is wide spread ignorance of this field and the benefits that can be gained from it. One of my biggest goals for this blog is to try and bring knowledge and awareness to the under appreciated field of adapted physical education.
Quote of the day:
Another vital aspect of physical education for children with disabilities is that there is a absurd amount of obesity rates among children with disabilities when compared to their typically developing peers. There is a much lower amount of people with disabilities that are involved in their communities. Having physical educators who are certificated to work with children with disabilities would help in both of these areas.
When I have witnessed non adapted physical educators working with children with disabilities, most of them do try to make many accommodations so that the students are successful. But try as they might, they are not trained to work with children with disabilities and many times struggle immensely with trying to modify curriculum and trying to regulate behaviors. This is no discredit to physical educators. They do not have the prior training to excel in this area and it is crazy that it is expected of them.
Adapted physical education is an aspect of the law as well. It is actually the only curriculum specially mentioned in IDEA, one of the most potent laws that defines special education rights for students with disabilities. Since this is the only curriculum that is specifically mentioned in the law, you would be under the impression that it is a very critical and needed curriculum. But whomever has interpreted the law does not agree with the lawmakers and has denied many students with disabilities their rights.
Here is the EXACT wording of the law:
Physical Education Requirement in IDEA
34 C.F.R.300.39(b)(2) IDEA defines "physical education" as the development of:
- Physical and motor skills
- Fundamental motor skills and patterns
- Skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports).
20 U.S.C. 1401(29) Special Education. The term 'special education' means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, 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.
34 CFR 300.108 Physical Education. The State must ensure that public agencies in the State comply with the following:
(a) General. Physical education services, specially designed if necessary, must be made available to every child with a disability receiving FAPE, unless the public agency enrolls children without disabilities and does not provide physical education to children without disabilities in the same grades.(b) Regular physical education. Each child with a disability must be afforded the opportunity to participate in the regular physical education program available to nondisabled children unless -(1) The child is enrolled full time in a separate facility; or(2) The child needs specially designed physical education, as prescribed in the child's IEP.(c) Special physical education. If specially designed physical education is prescribed in a child's IEP, the public agency responsible for the education of that child must provide the services directly or make arrangements for those services to be provided through other public or private programs.(d) Education in separate facilities. The public agency responsible for the education of a child with a disability who is enrolled in a separate facility must ensure that the child receives appropriate physical education services in compliance with this section.
I believe that this law is explained very clearly that physical education is mandatory for children with disabilities and that students with disabilities have the right to have specially designed physical education services if needed. Yet still their is wide spread ignorance of this field and the benefits that can be gained from it. One of my biggest goals for this blog is to try and bring knowledge and awareness to the under appreciated field of adapted physical education.
Quote of the day:
Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Anonymous
