Adapted Physical Education

One of the biggest issues today is not enough adaptions for children who are exceptional learners. Adapted physical education is a rarity, full classes of adapted phys ed are rare because most children are integrated and an adapted physical education teacher comes in to help with that student every once in a while. But if these classes and aides are not there, how are these children participating and being active? Yesterday I got the chance to go out to Palatine High School, in Palatine Illinois and watch and adapted floor hockey tournament and it was quite honestly, one of the coolest things ever. Nothing was drastically changed to make floor hockey playable for these students except for maybe a pusher for kids in wheel chairs and earphones for children who did not like the noise. They were able to play the game, at a bit of a slower pace, but they still were playing the game. They were smiling, scoring goals, passing, dancing around, and just over all having a great time and it was an amazing thing to witness.

                Recently I also read an article about an invention the came out in December of 2015 called the Kicker Helper. The Kicker Helper is a device for students in wheel chairs to be able to attach a aluminum pipe with a shoe on the end of it to swing it back and forth to be able to kick the ball. This opens them up to be able to play in the games like kickball and soccer, but it also gives them the chance to interact with their classmates, rather than sitting on the sideline because they cannot play.

                Getting these kids active is extremely important for their motor and physical development. It is our jobs to make physical education for everyone to be able to participate. Place like Palatine and people like the inventor of the Kicker Helper make things like this happen.