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Educational Improvement and Assistance
Adapted Physical Education
Physical education (PE) is a mandated curriculum area for all students in Louisiana. It is an essential part of the basic educational program and contributes to the development of the total individual. Every student is entitled to participate in a program of physical activity, specially designed if necessary. A well-planned, sequential program of physical education contributes significantly to the learning experience of all students, particularly students with disabilities.
Adapted physical education is specially designed physical education for students with disabilities who may not safely or successfully engage in unrestricted participation in the vigorous activities of the regular physical education program on a full-time basis, and for children with disabilities aged three through five who meet specific criteria.
In Louisiana, the delivery of adapted physical education required by an IEP must meet the following conditions:
► Evaluation and instruction are provided by a certified adapted physical education teacher.
► Only students with disabilities whose need is documented in accordance with the criteria for eligibility are included in the caseload.
►The caseload is in accordance with the pupil/teacher ratios listed in Bulletin 1706, Regulations for Implementation of the Children with Exceptionalties Act.
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Philosophy
In Louisiana, physical education for students with disabilities combines the most practical and successful methods that the education system as a whole has to offer. Physical education personnel work together in developing appropriate and beneficial programs for all students. Adapted physical education does not become the only answer for students who don't fit the traditional mold as it relates to physical activity. Granted, the severity of the disability may necessitate the provision of very specialized programming (i.e., one-to-one physical education instruction), but children with disabilities are not automatically separated philosophically or programmatically from the general physical education program.
To successfully deal with the overwhelming numbers of problems and the inherent variability of those problems as they relate to appropriate physical education programming for children with disabilities, physical education teachers continue to work together to close the gap between general and special education.
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Certification Requirements for Teachers
No public school program or approved nonpublic school program may employ for the purpose of, or with the effect of providing services to exceptional students, an uncertified person in the capacity of adapted physical education teacher. Adapted physical education certification was approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in August of 1975. Courses needed for Adapted Physical Education certification are:
Basic Requirements
1.State Certification in Physical Education - 24 semester hours
2.Motor Development and Learning - 3 semester hours
3.Introduction to the Study of Exceptional Children - 3 semester hours
4.Tests and Measurements - 3 semester hours
(Physical Education or Educational or Psychological)
Specialized Requirements:
1.Introducing Physical Education for All Handicapped Children - 3 semester hours
2.Behavioral and Educational Impairment and Physical Education & Practicum -3 semester hours
3.Chronic Disability and Physical Education and Practicum - 3 semester hours
4.The Physical Education Curriculum for All Handicapped Children - 3 semester hours
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Assessment and Determining Eligibility
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Louisiana Revised Statue 17:1941 et seq. mandate the inclusion of physical education instruction in the special education program of all students with disabilities. Physical education is defined as the development of 1) physical and motor fitness; 2) fundamental motor skills and patterns; and 3) skills in aquatics, dance and individual and group games and sports. In Louisiana, students with disabilities who are unable to participate successfully in a regular physical education program are screened and evaluated through a process established by the Pupil Appraisal Handbook. The procedures, standards and eligibility criteria for adapted physical education can be found in this handbook.
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The adapted physical education evaluation for students aged birth to 5 years shall include an assessment of motor abilities conducted by a certified adapted physical education teacher or professional experienced in motor assessment. The adapted physical education evaluation for students aged 6-21 includes an assessment of grade/age level physical education competencies using the CTAPE, Competency Test for Adapted Physical Education, a standardized instrument developed by the Louisiana Task Force on Adapted Physical Education. The CTAPE must be administered by a certified adapted physical education teacher.
CTAPE 2008
PDF
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For students with diagnosed Emotional Disturbance (ED), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Other Health Impairments (OHI), the evaluation must include written documentation verifying a significantly reduced performance which prevents safe and successful participation in a regular physical education class. In cases involving students with diagnosed ED, this documentation is provided by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, or a certified school psychologist and an adapted physical education evaluator. In cases involving students with TBI or OHI, the documentation is provided by a physician and an adapted physical education evaluator.
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Adapted PE and the IEP
To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled students in the regular physical education class. When a student with disabilities participates fully in the regular physical program without any special modifications, it is not necessary to describe or refer to PE in the IEP other than indicating the provision of instruction. When simple modifications to the regular PE program are necessary for the student to participate (interpreter for a student with hearing impairment, mobility assistance for a student with visual impairment, or child specific aide for a student with a behavior disorder), those modifications must be described in the IEP.
When a student with disabilities needs adapted physical education (APE) according to criteria established in the Pupil Appraisal Handbook, the program must be addressed in all applicable areas of the IEP (e.g., present levels of educational performance, goals and objectives, and the level of service to be provided). The initial provision of adapted physical education services is determined by the IEP committee using the input of the adapted physical education evaluator and the results and recommendations of the motor evaluation. The continuation of services is determined at the annual review using the input of the adapted physical education teacher.
Physical education program requirements for exceptional students must be comparable to those provided non-disabled students. Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, sets forth the minimum physical education requirements. Instructional time, whether daily PE, APE, or a combination of the two programs, should parallel the daily and weekly physical education requirements established in Bulletin 741. The two exceptions to this rule are as follows:
Preschool students with disabilities
Adapted physical education must be offered to those preschool students who possess an identified motor deficit and whose need is documented through the evaluation process. Services are provided according to need and not in terms of what is provided able-bodied children of comparable age. The frequency (days per week) and duration (minutes per session) is based on individual need and determined by the IEP committee.
Students at the secondary level
Services must be afforded to students with disabilities throughout their school career. Two carnegie units in the area of health and physical education are required for graduation. Two additional units may be taken as electives.
After the comparability requirements have been met at the secondary level (two carnegie units or the equivalent), the IEP committee may choose to continue adapted physical education or discontinue the services. However, if the decision is to continue adapted physical education, the service must be made available through the age of twenty-one, if appropriate.
A student who is currently receiving adapted physical education may exit the program through the IEP committee process. The system alone may not individually decide to terminate the instructional service. Prior to discontinuing adapted physical education, the IEP committee should:
■carefully review current information about the student’s performance and program toward achieving annual goals in the motor area;
■examine reevaluation reports (if applicable, other assessment data and teacher recommendations);
■discuss possible modifications that would facilitate the integration process; and
■discuss the student’s ability to successfully participate in regular physical education on a daily basis.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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