WHAT IS ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION?

Federal law (PL 94-142, PL 101-476, PL 105-17) mandates that physical education be provided to students with disabilities and defines Physical Education as the development of:

• physical and motor skills,

• fundamental motor skills and patterns (throwing, catching, walking, running, etc). and

• skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports).

Adapted Physical Education is Physical Education which has been adapted or modified, so that it is as appropriate for the person with a disability as it is for a person without a disability.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) uses the term disability as a diagnostic category that qualifies students for special services. These categories are:

1. Autism

2. Deaf – Blindness

3. Deafness

4. Hearing impairment

5. Mental retardation

6. Multiple disabilities

7. Orthopedic impairment

8. Other health impairment

9. Serious emotional disturbance

10. Specific learning disability

11. Speech or language impairment

12. Traumatic brain injury

13. Visual impairment including blindness

The services provided by an APE teacher are (adapted from Sherrill, 1998):

1. Planning services

2. Assessment of Individuals /Ecosystems

3. Prescription/Placement: The IEP

4. Teaching/Counseling/Coaching

5. Evaluation of Services

6. Coordination of Resources and Consulting

7. Advocacy

The APE teacher is a direct service provider, not a related service provider, because special physical education 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 child's special education. This is contrasted with physical therapy and occupational therapy, which are related services. These therapies are provided to the child with disabilities only if he needs them to benefit from instruction.

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