How to Design Accessible Courses in Physical Education
For many kids, physical education class is a time to run around and blow off steam. But, for children with handicaps, gym class presents a new and unique challenge. For these kids, whose abilities are different from their peers', gym class can be embarrassing and awkward. Many of these students avoid gym because they think it highlights their limitations. This, however, doesn't have to be the case. By creating and implementing accommodations for handicapped children, a physical education teacher can ensure that the gym is accessible to all students, regardless of their ability.
Instructions
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Determine what disabilities will be present in your physical education classroom. The steps for creating an accessible classroom depend heavily on what types of disabilities you are trying to accommodate. Consult the special education teacher at your school, review school records to determine what disabilities may be present in a class of students and identify how profoundly these disabilities will affect those students.
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Focus on the abilities of physically handicapped children instead of their disabilities. Before you begin to plan accessibility accommodations, consider what the child is capable of doing. Consider the accessibility of the gym. Make sure no stairs or barriers stand in the way of that child's entrance to the gymnasium. If any physical barriers would prevent the child from entering the class, make plans to help him navigate around them. Determine whether the equipment that is going to be used is suitable and whether the child will be able to use it effectively. If you are teaching hockey and a child in a wheelchair is going to participate, consider ways to modify the traditional hockey stick to help him use it successfully. Also, use paraprofessionals or teacher aides to assist the child. These extra support individuals can help the student move around the room and participate more effectively. Remember, when dealing with physically impaired children, your ultimate goal is to help them find success. Often, successful accommodations come from trial and error. While the child participates, observe him and try to determine where he struggles. Create accommodations specifically aimed at helping him overcome his personal obstacles so that he can achieve success and feel the joy of performing with his peers in gym class.
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Consider the coping skills employed by deaf or hard-of-hearing students. The course you follow in providing accommodations will vary based on how the child copes with his deafness. If the child is capable of lip reading, make sure you are always facing him when giving directions. If the child has a sign language interpreter, create an area where the interpreter can stand to ensure that the child can see the interpreter as you are giving instructions. Typical gym class favorites, like blowing a whistle to end a game, will not work with deaf students. Consider using light cues to assist that student. When it is time to stop play, flick the lights on and off to signal to that student that time is up. Also, be sure to touch the child when you are talking to him to make sure he knows he is being addressed. Create a silent gym. Students who have a limited ability to hear will struggle to perceive auditory directions. While it is common for a gym to be a loud and raucous place, this noise will make it impossible for hard-of-hearing children to utilize the ability that they do have. Implement a rule in which students must be silent during demonstration or instruction. This will not only allow your hard-of-hearing student to better understand the directions, but it will also encourage your other students to pay better attention to instructions.
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Make accommodations for visually impaired children. Children who cannot see can be just as successful in gym class as their sighted counterparts. Frequently, gym teachers make the mistake of assigning visually impaired children sideline jobs such as score keeper. These jobs are intended to keep the children out of harm's way; however, it also keeps them out of the action. It is important to allow blind children to play an active part in physical education and not to relegate them to sideline tasks. When teaching a visually impaired child, gym teachers must be careful to give clear and concise descriptions of all actions being performed. Although a blind child may not be able to see what the teacher is doing, he is usually quite adept at following verbal instructions because he receives many of his daily cues verbally. Gym teachers should also make sure to place visually impaired children in the front of the group, near the teacher, so that the teacher can reach out and provide guidance if necessary. Consider partnering the child with another student. If you allow a blind student to work with a sighted partner, the partner can act as that child's eyes and assist him in being successful at performing the task. Before beginning an activity, allow the visually impaired child to walk around the play area and orient himself to his surroundings. If a visually impaired child has been given clear instructions, partnered with a peer and allowed to scope out the field before play, he will be able to achieve success in physical education class.
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