PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF DISABLED STUDENTS.   Term Paper ID:23961 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines relevant legislation, special needs & problems, types of disabilities, self-esteem, benefits & drawbacks of inclusion, teaching strategies, equipment.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines relevant legislation, special needs & problems, types of disabilities, self-esteem, benefits & drawbacks of inclusion, teaching strategies, equipment. Paper Introduction: In America, people with disabilities are guaranteed civil rights to enable them to live with as much freedom and independence as possible. These rights are guaranteed through federal legislation. An important component of this legislation is the right of students with disabilities to have a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. A part of this free and appropriate education is physical education. Many students with disabilities have the need for adaptive physical education. Providing physical education for disabled students has periodically presented school districts with controversies. The controversy of how to best serve the disabled student population with physical education can be answered by examining and applying the various pieces of legislation, by enabling the physical education teacher to access Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Katz. Most learning disabled people tend to bepassive, reluctant learners. Does the hearing-impaired child wearan auditory trainer with a microphone available for the teacher to use?Also are there any activities which the trainer or hearing aids need to beremoved in order for the child to participate. Theadaptations needed to include the student in the least restrictiveenvironment may be minor or major and the teacher's own style willinfluence the ease of inclusion. When this occurs, allindividuals on the team benefit by the individual with a disability beingon the roster (Kozub and Porretta 21). "Psychological Benefits of Sports for Disabled People: A Review." Scandinavian Journal of Medical Science and Sports 3 (1993): 217-228.Kasser, Susan L., Douglas Collier, and Dorene G. Throughout history individuals with disabilities havebeen stigmatized and excluded through the use of language. This legislation mandatedphysical education for all students with disabilities (Dunn and Sherrill379). The self-esteem of a child with alearning disability is generally accepted to be lower than that of acomparable childwithout a disability. Motivation can beboosted for individuals with disabilities and without disabilities.Benefits for individuals with disabilities also include an increase inphysical wellness, functional and age-appropriate skills which arepracticed in multiple environments (Kasser, Collier, and Solava 51). "Sport Skills for Students with Disabilities: A Collaborative Effort." Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 68 (1997): 5 -53+.Kozub, Francis M. Safety of the students must remain a first priority of the physicaleducation teacher. The increasing technological improvements inproviding sound to individuals with hearing impairments means that manypeople who in the past would have been considered to be deaf are no longerwithout some hearing and oral language. This was the appropriate placement for thesestudents. Space considerations are also important when working withvisually impaired children who may not see boundary markers clearly (Blockand Horton 66). The first of these pieces of legislation was theRehabilitation Act of 1973. Inclusion does not mean that students with disabilities will beworking on the same skills or same competency level as the other students.It does mean that the student's needs will be taken into account whenplanning lessons. A preliminary source ofinformation readily available to physical education teachers are thestudents' emergency cards (Block and Horton 59). Inclusion in regular physical educationclasses and sports can impact positively a child's self-worth especiallywhen the physical education teacher can accommodate different learningstyles when giving directions. Physical education teachers should stress the abilities of eachstudent not the limitations each student possesses. It is important to note that this is the only population which thefederal government has mandated the teaching of physical education (Dunnand Sherrill 379). A second explanation given is that all students can takepride in the amount of preparation they have made before beginning a gameregardless of the outcome of the game. The exception to these language conventions is the person whoconsiders himself to be deaf. This requirement to allow otherwise qualified individuals toplay on a team has the benefit of allowing small school districts to expandthe population from which they recruit their sports teams. An activist in the disabled rights movement, Ed Robertsstated succinctly during a demonstration to prevent changes to theregulations implementing Section 5 4 of the Rehabilitation Act;"Integration is the key word, people with disabilities have to come backinto our society" (Shapiro 68). Ideally theregular and special education teachers, resource support personnel, anadaptive physical education teacher, an administrator, and the parents willall be able to work together before, during and after the student's IEP.IDEA mandates that the child be educated in the least restrictive setting.Students with disabilities have often been mainstreamed into the non-academic subjects of physical education, art, and music (Miller 47) inorder to socialize the student without considering educationalappropriateness. Individuals with disabilities wanted to participate fully insociety. Disability: The loss or reduction of functional ability and/or activity. Teams which are the most talented do not always win thematch. For example use the language--an individualwith a disability, instead of saying a disabled individual. No Pity: People With Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement. Information to find out when a hearing impaired studentis enrolled in the class is whether the student is able to hear a standardwhistle or any other type of audible signal. These attributes contribute to the lower self-perceptions of scholastic competence and behavioral conduct found byCleaver, Bear, and Juvonen (134). "HIV Disease: Implications for Special Educators." Remedial and Special Education 16 (March 1995): 68-78.Scherich, Dayl L. Teachers should be aware that not allindividuals with hearing impairments consider themselves members of thedeaf community or to be deaf. A properly executed program of inclusion will have all students inthe class developing skill competencies and knowledge which are driven byreal-life future fitness goals. Appropriate in-class support will be given to the physical educationteacher and the student with disabilities in inclusion. The deaf community considers itself to beculturally defined by their own use of an alternative language--AmericanSign Language and an individual who is deaf does not generally take offensewhen referred to as a deaf person. Including athletes with disabilities on school and community sportsteams can place an emphasis on team dynamics and responsibility as goalsverses an emphasis on star players (Kozub and Porretta 21). Physicaleducation class and sports participation are two of the keys to dispellingthe myth that a disability is an illness to be cured instead of a challengeto complete independence. In some cases this has led to dumpingspecial needs children into regular classes with little or no supportsystem (Miller 47). 94-142 wasalso know as the Education For All Handicapped Children Act. The use of different measures for rating self-worth and self-esteemhave an effect on the size of the differential between normal and learningdisabled individuals. The class will consist of developmentallyappropriate activities for all students at their own level of competence.All students will be learning functional meaningful activities; wherepossible the activities of the student with disabilities will correspond tothe skills being learned by non-disabled students. If not, is the studentaccustomed to another type of signal. Some students with disabilities have hidden disabilities which arenot readily apparent and may not present the need for any modifications.Some types of learning disabilities fall into this category. Often it is the most disciplined team which works well togetherwhich wins over the team with more individually skilled players who areunable to play en masse. P. Both should follow the noun sothat the individuality of the person takes precedence over the disabilityin describing the individual. P.L. Physical educationteachers should be aware that most children with hearing impairments beingeducated in a mainstream classroom, even when accompanied by a full-timeinterpreter and utilizing only sign language for communication, may or maynot be part of the deaf community. Handicap: A condition produced by societal and environmental barriers (Dunn and Sherrill 38 ).Disability and impairment are synonyms. When an individualis unable, or finds it difficult, to understand and perform the behaviorexpected in the situation, the person's self esteem suffers. Individuals with physical disabilities often have lowered self-esteem. Bar-Eli. In the United States a person's self-worth is often tied to hisemployment status. Other benefits to all members of inclusive teams and classesare increases in team dynamics, competitive spirit, legal requirements, andincreased athletic enrollment (Kozub and Porretta 2 ). The physical education teacherwill likely need to consult with the speech and language specialist onmethods to use to communicate and be understood by the student. Most of these individuals do notconsider themselves members of the deaf community. Solava. Any informationwhich leads the physical education teacher to suspect that there may be aphysical or learning disability should be followed up by checking thatstudent's cumulative file. Physical activities and sports are a method of ensuring othersthat although they are disabled that they are not ill (Dunn and Sherrill386). Children in wheel chairs or using walkers to move will haveto have enough space available that is free from restrictions (Block andHorton 64). This enhanced self-concept is significantly higherin individuals with a disability who regularly participate in a sportsactivity when compared to individuals with a disability who are sedentary(Hutzler and Bar-Eli 221). Bear, and J. The physical education teacher is in a unique position to influencehow students are educated in the least restrictive environment at theirschool. Terminology The terms used by different people to refer to people withdisabilities shows how the non-disabled population views each individualwith a disability. Physical education teachers also need to be aware that theguidelines for educating children with AIDS or HIV state that thisinformation should not be placed in the child's file and that teachersshould not be informed of the child's infectious condition (Prater, Serna,Sileo, and Katz 7 ). Statistics Individuals with disabilities are less likely to be productivecitizens than non-disabled individuals. Thislegislation gave each disabled child the right to a free and appropriatepublic education. Two-thirdsof individuals with disabilities are unemployed (Scherich 27). The successful students were those who could keep up withthe rest of the class. Forty percent of the disabledpopulation does not have a high school diploma and less than nine percenthave a college diploma; this compares to twenty-three percent of the non-disabled population which has a college degree (Dunn and Sherrill 383). Physical educationteachers cannot assume that the administration, another teacher, a student,or a parent will inform them of a student's limitations. 94-142. All children entering any physical education class regular oradaptive, need to have their special equipment and other needs met andaccommodated. "Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Can We Meet the Challenge?" Physical Educator 51 (Late Winter 1994): 47-52.Prater, Mary Anne, Loretta A. This included the right totry out for interscholastic sports (Dunn and Sherrill 379). Athleteswho are disabled and exert the extra effort to excel can motivate otherathletes to go beyond what they expected themselves to be able toaccomplish. Inclusion for students with disabilities as mandated bylaw does not require that all children in a class be functioning at thesame level or even pursuing the same activities. This is detrimental to all of the students involved.The child with special needs is left without adequate physical educationservices in the name of mainstreaming, socialization may or may not takeplace without structure and guidelines from the teacher; the regulareducation students will not be able to receive the full benefit of theirteacher's efforts, and may have an added distraction to learning; theteacher is forced to include a child which he is not trained to properlyeducate and in most instances must take time away from the rest of theclass to assist a single student. The World HealthOrganization has a definitive statement on the use of terms used toidentify individuals with disabilities; the following terms appear ontheir list. Placing students in classeswhere they are unable to progress or function is not inclusion but dumping. Precautions need to be taken for any injury whereblood is in evidence. Horton. Physical education class canplay an important part in building and maintaining self-esteem of studentswith learning disabilities. story boards, voice synthesizers, or computerized communicationboards). The push for passage of the ADA came fromwithin the community of disabled individuals. Self-Esteem Children with disabilities usually face multiple difficulties inrelationships at school, home, and at work. Children with disabilities often have lowself-esteem and believe themselves unable to compete with non-disabledpeers on any level. This support mightbe a consultation with a resource specialist, the use of a buddy system forthe disabled player, or even an individual aid assigned to the student toenable the student with the disability to gain a meaningful educationalexperience from the physical education class. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 gavestudents with disabilities the same opportunities to participate in sportscompetitions and recreational opportunities. Throughthe playing of sports, societal acceptance can be gained by persons withdisabilities. Section 5 4 of the Rehabilitation Act forbiddiscrimination based on a person's handicap by any federal agency, defensecontractor, public university, or any other agency receiving federal funds(Shapiro 65-66). New York: Times Books, 1993.Yaun, F. 99-457) in 1986 to includechildren from birth to age 21 and again in 199 by P.L. Sileo, and Alan R. Often children can be assisting or working on a secondskill with the disabled student when not actively competing on their own;for example children waiting in line for a turn can practice rolling ballsdown a ramp with a child whose goal is to be able to play a game ofbowling. Individuals withdisabilities are no longer willing to be treated as objects of pity orcharity. Of theseunemployed individuals with disabilities, eighty percent would like to beemployed (Scherich 27). Alack of education limits employment opportunities and income. Hutzler and Bar-Eli have found that individuals with disabilitieshave an increased self-concept and greater self-esteem after participatingin sports activities. Childrenwith disabilities are to be educated in the least restrictive environmentappropriate for their education. Stigmatization ofindividuals with disabilities has promoted discrimination and unjusttreatment of people who have been perceived to be different. Strategies for Successful Inclusion Special needs children must have their own educational goals andneeds considered before a placement decision is possible. Manystudents with disabilities have the need for adaptive physical education.Providing physical education for disabled students has periodicallypresented school districts with controversies. " Include Safety in Physical Education: Do not Exclude Students with Disabilities." Physical Educator 53 (Spring 1996): 58-72.Clever, A., G. A student centered learningenvironment will help allow students to learn and progress at their ownlevels of comfort and competence toward the goal of life-long fitness.Students can be allowed to choose their own partners or groups, to choosebetween types of activities or fitness stations, or maybe students candesign their own cooperative game or scoring system to equalize strengthsand weaknesses of all students (Miller). This legislation gave the disabled population a taste ofwhat it meant not to be excluded based solely on their handicap. It also exposes the district to additionallitigation if a student is injured by inappropriate safety precautions.For these reasons it is imperative that schools practice inclusion notdumping to foster a least restrictive environment. Physical education goals andcurricula will probably not be affected. This was followed by passage in 1975 of P.L. It was amended (P.L. Problems with Inclusion The passage of IDEA with its emphasis on placing children in theleast restrictive environment has led to abuses of inclusion. This loweredself-esteem is a result of the individual with a learning disabilityrecognizing that there is a discrepancy between the academic learning thatis expected of a normal child, and what it is expected that he will learnand retain in school. Dumping students into regular classes, especially physical education,is fiscally cheap, in the short run, for a school district. 1 1-476 to becomewhat is now recognized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Actor IDEA. True competitive spirit can be learned by members of an inclusiveteam. Some students with hearing impairments and language disorders may beprovided with sign language interpreters, or other methods of communication(i.e. Both regular and adaptive physicaleducation teachers should be willing to assist in setting a child's goalsand objectives and can help the physical education teacher be aware ofsafety concerns and the limitations of the student. This discipline can benefit both disabled and non-disabledindividuals beyond the playing field. In America, people with disabilities are guaranteed civil rights toenable them to live with as much freedom and independence as possible.These rights are guaranteed through federal legislation. Theseskills are especially needed by individuals with disabilities. This affords the physicaleducation teacher with the opportunity to build an interdisciplinary teamwhich can actively work to include the special education student as a fullparticipant in school life and class. "Equity in Athletics: Full Participation for All Students." Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance 66 (September 1995): 4-5.Hutzler, Y., and M. Part of the reason for this increase in non-disabled students self-esteem can be found in the nurturing, helpful rolethat non-disabled students play in relation to the students withdisabilities. Even this step may not address all of thequestions that the physical education teacher may have on precautions thatneed to be taken for a special education student to be included in theirclass. "Moving Toward Self-Acceptance: A Course for Students With Learning Disabilities." Intervention in School and Clinic 29 (1994): 3 1-3 9.----------------------- 1 The true essence of competition is to use desire as well as hardwork to overcome personal limitations (Kozub and Porretta 21). Older children and young adults with learning disabilities arefrequently unwilling to ask for information and help to make certain thattheir special needs are met. and David Porretta. The Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 199 (the ADA), gaveall Americans with disabilities the same protection against discriminationand support for greater daily participation in American life that hadalready been granted to women and minorities in 1964 with passage of theCivil Rights Act (Huber 4). To this end, the physical education teacher must availhimself of all available information concerning medical and physicallimitations of their students (Block and Horton). "Including Athletes with Disabilities: Interscholastic Athletic Benefits for All." Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 67(3) (1993): 19-24.Miller, Sue Ellen. Teachers needto be aware of the damage that using or allowing students to use derogatoryterminology can have on a student in the class. Some hearing impaired individuals may need preferential seatingor directions presented visually. With many ofthese students the only modifications required will be to ensure thatdirections are understood and that the child stays on task. In the past,individuals with disabilities have been perceived as dangerous, inferior,or not quite human and been institutionalized; the vocabulary a physicaleducation teacher uses can influence all of his students in a positivemanner. Also each special education student has their ownspecific physical education goals to meet as stated on their IEP. Here the difficulty for the physical educationteacher will be in facilitating communication between students and betweenthe teacher and the disabled student. Rules such asindividuals who come to practice on time, ready to play and work, andcooperate will play; those individuals who do not will sit on the bench,allow team spirit and proper attitude to influence the team dynamics in apositive way and allow factors other than just physical ability to dictatewho will play. As children and adults, theymay encounter problems with learning new material, and in dealingappropriately, with new environmental and work situations which frequentlyrequire following new or different sets of directions. On teams where individuals areacknowledged to have different skill levels and abilities team goals ofplaying well together can be emphasized over personal goals to the benefitof all students (Kozub and Porretta 21). That meant that opportunities for employment, socialization,recreation, and competition needed to be available for everyone equallyincluding individuals with disabilities. Works CitedBlock, Martin E., and Mel L. The rest of the students should not have been placed intoregular classes without support services. In the longrun it exposes the district to civil litigation for violations of IDEA andthe Rehabilitation Act. Sports teams are required to be inclusive at least in their policiesregarding try-outs by the ADA. The controversy of how tobest serve the disabled student population with physical education can beanswered by examining and applying the various pieces of legislation, byenabling the physical education teacher to access the appropriate resourcesand equipment, and by promoting and adhering to a philosophy whichencourages and builds upon individual students' strengths. Physical education plays an important part in everyone's daily life.The skills learned in physical education class are intended to encouragelife-long healthy habits of fitness and recreational activities. The termhandicap is considered to be offensive to individuals with disabilities. Physicalactivities and recreation were now available for individuals withdisabilities. Often physical education is one of the first subjects wherespecial education students are mainstreamed. When criteria for team participation is not limited topersonal skill level but includes proper team attitude and work habits, adisabled player may compete ahead of a more skilled but less disciplinedteam member. The benefits tobe gained by all the students often mandate inclusion. The self-esteem of non-disabled children who are included in physicaleducation and sports classes with children with disabilities also increased(Kozub and Porretta 21). Adaptations for these types of disabilities will need tobe more extensive. The validity of these measuresis called into question when looked at in comparison to the levels of self-worth shown in the specific domains. For example, awheelchair bound student might use a hockey stick to pass a soccer ballinstead of their feet, or a visually impaired player might use a beep balland tee instead of a thrown softball in a softball game. Benefits of Inclusion The benefits of inclusion are available to all participants. This may meanthat a team can be formed when previously there would not have been enoughinterested individuals to comprise a team. Teams do not have to retain players who areunable to meet their qualifications whether they have a disability or not.The opportunity must exist if the athlete is qualified other than theirdisability. The conceptsbeing taught are similar but the method or equipment has been changed toaccommodate and equalize the impairment. This law was the first which required the developmentand use of an Individualized Educational Program which is known in theeducational community by its acronym, IEP. "Discrepancies Between Competence and Importance in Self-Perceptions of Children in Integrated Classes." Journal of Special Education 26 (1992): 125-138.Huber, Joseph H. Juvonen. A part of this free and appropriate education is physical education. An importantcomponent of this legislation is the right of students with disabilities tohave a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Forthese reasons the inclusion of a special needs student in a regularphysical education class needs to be considered with care. A person's self-esteem can also limit what he perceiveshis options to be in the world. "Job Accommodations in the Workplace for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Current Practices and Recommendations." Journal of Rehabilitation 62 (Apr./May/June 1996): 27-35.Shapiro, J. Self-esteem has not been shown to belower in the domains of athletics, social acceptance, and physicalappearance (Cleaver, Bear, & Juvonen 125). The physical educationprogram for each child with a disability will be different. Presenting directions visually using awhite board can be beneficial for hearing impaired and some learningdisabled students. Measures that define self-esteem and self-worthglobally give children with learning disabilities lower overall ratings forself-esteem (Cleaver, Bear, & Juvonen 125). Legislation The controversies began with the passage of several pieces oflegislation. Another typeof disability which may not require many modifications are speech andlanguage impairments. In a physical education class, there isthe added dimension of unknown safety or medical factors which the regularphysical education teacher may not be aware of, or take into account whenplanning activities. The child with a physical disability also recognizesthat he will not be able to perform the desired movements or actions thatother children can perform with ease. Serna, Thomas W. Impairment: Any disturbance of, or interference with, the normal structure and function of the body. Other sources of information for the physical education teacher arethe IEP multi-disciplinary team. These children often have a poor self-concept and donot understand or accept the limitations of having a learning disability(Yuan 3 1). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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