Happy Friday!

The next five newsletters will contain special information

June Topic:

on physical activity in relation to children with disabilities. We will learn what

Physical Activities

kinds of disabilities there are and how physical activity is important for students
with disabilities. We will also learn how to implement and encourage physical

With Students With

activities in the classroom and also outdoors. Lastly we will discuss ways to

Disabilities

continue physical activity at home for students with disabilities and how to help
our friends feel comfortable and safe in school.

Get Involved!
REMINDERS!

Keep working on your journals! We

will be sharing our entries next week.

We will be practicing our cursive on

Monday!

There are many ways to get involved with the

disability community.

Special Olympics
Michigan!

Parents: Make sure to bring your

signed permission slip to the

Botanical Gardens by Tuesday.

There are volunteer opportunities and a

whole calendar full of fun events and

pertains to: Total or partial loss of a persons bodily functions and total or
partial loss of a part of the body.
This can include: fine motor skills, walking, amputation, etc.

programs to go to!

According to the Physical Disability Council of NSW, a physical disability

According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental

Disabilities, an intellectual disability pertains to: a disability defined by
significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior

This can include: general mental capacity with learning, reasoning, problem solving
etc. Also including conceptual, social, and practical skills.
Sources: aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition#.VX7380uus08,
www.pdcnsw.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&id=49:what-is-physical-disability&itemid=118

The next event will be on June 22

nd

from 7:00am-12: 30pm in Grand

Rapids Michigan and they will be hosting
the Highlands Golf Classic.
If you would like to get involved the link is on
the bottom or contact me for more
information!

LINK: www.somi.org
Picture Source:
http://blog.mlive.com/news/baycity_impact/2009
/03/large_special-olympics1mlive.jpg

June Topic:

Physical Activities

With Students With

Activities With Friends!

Disabilities

Its important in school to understand the relation of physical

disabilities and physical activity performance.
Environmental influences include:
The immediate area of the physical activity taking
place.
The inclusion of all students and the participation
of all students.
The interactions with peers.

Its important to remember to encourage students with

physical disabilities and be aware of creating physical
activities that include and accommodate all students
Task influences include:

Goals, rules, and specific equipment to involve all

students.

Its important to provide equipment that students with

physical disabilities can use and implement them in daily
physical activities. The goals set should be the same for all
students and should include all students rather than modified
for students with physical disabilities..
This creates success for everyone!
Reference: Menear, K. & Davis, T. (2007). Modifying Physical
Activities to Include Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic

Approach. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 78

(2), 37-41.

20 poly spots (can be in a gym or blacktop setting)

Preparing:

Set the poly spots so that they are about 3 feet apart
on all sides and they are all lined up with one another (10

Students With Physical Disabilities:

What you will need:

Physical Activities That Include

This activity can include students with physical disabilities!

The Maze

by 10)

Have list of steps that involve moving right/left or

forward/backward. Have a variety of list with different

steps. Make sure you make combinations that will not

have students overlap one another

Activity:

Divide students into two teams

Have one set of partners stand at one end of the maze

and the other set of partners at the other side. Hand one
side the list to call out the steps to their partner

When the activity starts have the students with the list
call out the steps and their partner follow the steps. If
they get the step wrong they must go back to the
beginning of the maze and start over

Once one team has helped all their partners through the
maze stop the game and switch the set of partners who
call out the steps and follow the steps

Be sure to:

Cheer on your teammates!

Be respectful of all the players

Be safe
Have fun!










Picture Source: http://www.vbcpsblogs.com/core/wp content/uploads/2014/10/Wheelchair-course.jpg

June Topic:

Four Corners

Physical Activities
With Students With

Activities With Friends!

Disabilities

This activity can include students with intellectual

disabilities!
Prepare:

four different colors

With Intellectual Disabilities

Children with Intellectual disabilities (ID) are one of the largest

of the corners

to a certain numbered corner and if their answer is

no they need to run to a certain numbered corner.
While they are going to their specific corner they

that can be used to assess students with intellectual disabilities and

need to do the movement that is in the picture next

provide the most beneficial physical activity:

to the numbered corner

Describe his or her strengths in physical activity: This can include

having leg flexibility, can run fast, can jump high, etc.

3.

List of their favorite activities: This can include: loves music,

dancing, singing, helping set up an activity, etc.

It is important to be aware of certain areas of sensitivity and emotion

A sample question could include:

o

etc.
2.

Explain to the students that you will ask them a

question and if their answer is yes they need to go

students with intellectual disabilities. There are three specific principles

such as verbal or non-verbal praising, stickers, hugs, high-fives,

Point to each numbered corner and have students

walk to each number

identify areas that can assess and improve physical activity for

List of what reinforces them: This can include specific enjoyments

This can be in a classroom or gym setting

Activity:

populations of disability students in a school setting. It is important to

1.

Pictures of children jumping, skipping, running, and

marching and place one of these movements in one

Physical Activities That Include Students

Four signs that have numbers 1-4 labeled on them or

Do you like cats? If yes go to corner 1

(skipping) if no then go to corner 4 (run)

Be sure to:

Be respectful of all students

Be safe

Have fun!

that can affect a student with ID and create an environment that can
include students with ID and other students.

This creates success for everyone!

Reference: Davis, K., Hodson, P., Zhang, G., Boswell, B. & Decker, J. (2010).
Providing Physical Activity for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: The

Motivate, Adapt, and Play Program. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation

& Dance, 81 (5), 23-28

Picture Source:
http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/a/aa/Play-FourCorners-Step-1.jpg/670px-Play-Four-Corners-Step-1.jpg

June Topic:
Physical Activities

With Students With

Disabilities

REMINDERS!

Dont forget to bring in your plant on Monday! We will be

sketching our plants and tracking our plants growth.

Wednesday will be the school used book sale so if you would like
to purchase a book be sure to bring in your money!

Encouraging Physical
Activity at Home
There has been a lot of discussion of
implementing physical activity in a school
setting for children with disabilities, but we
are not going to discuss how to continue
that implementation to the home setting.

Research has indicated that children

with disabilities preferred to engage in
physical activity with friends outside
of school at in a home setting.

It is important for parents to

encourage daily physical activity when
their children are not at school and
are home.

Some parents are not aware of the

physical activities they can involve
their children in at home!

Parents: You Play a Role Too!

Just like all parents, you can promote physical activity by also

Children with disabilities tend to have lower

participating in daily physical activity! If they see you being

motivation in participating in physical

active and healthy, they will follow.

activity and need more support in private

There are many reliable and useful resources that are available

settings at home when they feel more

for parents who may need some ideas or tips on how to get

comfortable with engaging in physical

their child and themselves physical involved!

activity.

I have found the National Association of Parents with Children

in Special Education to be a great resource for parents to get

Reference: Rubin, D. (2014). Rationale

information and news on the disability community! Check out

and design of active play at home: a

the link below or contact me for more information!

parent-led physical activity program for

Link: http://www.napcse.org

children with and without disability. BMC

Picture Source::

Pediatrics, 14 (1), 41

http://www.chicagoparent.com/media/8752797/garcia.jpg

June Topic:
Physical Activities
With Students With

Disabilities

We Love to Read!

Community Involvement

Books can be a great resource for educating your friend,

family, or child on disabilities! There are many different
books that teach about disabilities and we will be reading
this one in class!

Its important to learn about the disability

community but its even more important to get
involved with our community to make sure that we
can provide a safe and welcoming environment for
our friends. There are a few factors to consider
when planning a community physical activity event
or program that includes people with disabilities:

Does the place you are holding the event

have accessible entrances and exits that
people with disabilities can use?

Do your activities include everyone and

will there be any modifications you need
to make?

Encourage involvement of everyone who

How Can You Help Your Community?

What can family, teachers, and friends do to help?

activity and healthy living!

activities.

Encourage students to be involved in physical activities and

promote that by creating activities that include students with

is a part of the event, which includes,

planning and implementing physical

Be a role model and encourage the importance of physical

and without disabilities

Do your research on the disability community in order to be

understanding and a friend to those who have disabilities

Get involved and educate other community members about the

disability community!

Picture Sources: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e9/da/39/e9da3946fc72ce766d9f58adb79d2e32.jpg &

http://www.norfil.org/images/header/happy%20children%20with%20disabilities%20with%20the%20group%20of%20other%20child
ren%20in%20the%20community.jpg

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