After attending the SHAPE conference, I felt that I needed to do an informal reflection, as it was truly a unique experience. In the podcast, I discuss my experiences with some of the engaging presentations that I saw, and some of the great networking that occurred.
The 'Developmental and Adapted Physical Activity Assessment' textbook was sent to me by the great staff at Human Kinetics and they asked me to conduct a book review. Overall, I really enjoyed reading through the text and felt that each chapter had really nice structure that made the textbook feel like an easy to use tool, rather than just a traditional textbook. I also really enjoyed the use of case studies throughout the text that highlighted a variety of key topics. These case studies used real-life scenarios on when and how one would use certain types of assessment tools. In addition, the textbook covers a wide-range of assessments types that can be used in a variety of physical activity settings. While going over the different types of assessments, the book does a great job of putting everything into both researcher and practitioner terms. For example, for each test that is covered, the authors discussed the validity and reliability, and gave examples of when and how to use the test in a practical setting. In addition, a ton of assessment tools and surveys are given throughout the textbook, which would be very valuable for practitioners. I discussed the textbook in a little more depth on the podcast as well.
Overall, here are some of the major positives of purchasing this textbook:
+ Provides a ton of assessment tools
+ Very user-friendly and well-structured for both practitioners and researchers
+ Discusses a variety of modifications that might be needed for different types of tests
+ Uses case studies throughout the text to explain when, why, and how different assessments may be used
+ Two new chapters have been added that focus on (a) cognition and perception AND (b) behavior and socializing
Here is a list of the major topics discussed in relation to assessment in this textbook:
- Assessment terminology
- How to select the correct assessment tool
- Steps to administer an assessment
- Assessing motor development/skill performance
- Assessing physical function
- Assessing posture, gait, and balance
- Assessing perception and cognition
- Assessing behavior and social competence
Please click here to learn more or to purchase this textbook from Human Kinetics!
