The advocacy project focusing on adaptive physical education (APE) is aimed at fostering awareness of the needs of children with disabilities. APE is a method that could be adapted and modified to the requirements of the individuals participating in them, which presents significant opportunities for making comprehensive assessments and giving learners the skills necessary for facilitating a lifetime that is rich with sports experiences, leisure activities, recreation, and the overall love for engagement. The project presents excellent value on a personal level because of the experience of having a friend who has a daughter with epilepsy, and APE is not provided to her. Such a situation is frustrating for parents who lack resources to support the development of their children with disabilities. Teachers represent the target audience of the project because they are the ones who can initiate change in the educational setting and facilitate new activities and programs for children with disabilities.
The brochure (see Figure 1) that was developed includes core information on APE and why it is vital for children with special needs. Teachers, parents, and the general public should be aware of the curriculum limitations that children with disabilities face when it comes to physical education (Darling-Hammond, Flook, Cook-Harvey, Barron, & Osher, 2020). Teachers may often be scared to engage special needs students in physical activities because of the lack of knowledge on what can be done and what cannot. The benefit of APE, as laid out in the brochure, is the fact that activities can be changed and adapted to any setting and any student, thus offering great flexibility and opportunities for trying new things and determining their effects on the physical and emotional well-being of children. The value of the brochure developed for the informational purpose is attributed to the need to communicate the importance of APE and point out the value that it could bring to children with special needs. The brochure also includes valuable resources for teachers and parents to access to inform themselves about APE and the way in which they can be used for enhancing the well-being of children. Apart from the list of resources, the brochure also includes an encouraging message for teachers and parents on how they can be useful in facilitating APE. For instance, it is crucial to have a “can-do” attitude and encourage positive life choices for children with disabilities.
The project expects to facilitate a change in existing policies for the better in terms of integrating APE into the curriculum of children with disabilities. Such a change in policy will lead to a shift in the approach toward teaching physical education among the specific group of students. The current policies are highly limited and do not provide teachers with a framework they can use for developing physical education lessons with children with disabilities. Teachers should take the role of advocates when facilitating adaptive physical education for children and promote good practices that create an environment of understanding and support. If the change in policy occurs, the future holds multiple opportunities for enhancing the curriculum, making it more multi-dimensional and comprehensive. Teachers should not be afraid of challenging the established framework and be more proactive in developing an adapted approach toward teaching students with special needs to make their lives more fulfilling and engaging.
References
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97-140.