Physical Education for Young People with Disabilities

A Handbook of Practical Ideas Created by Practitioners for Practitioners

Rebecca Foster, Lerverne Barber

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781000166224
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Physical Education for Young People with Disabilities explores a range of methods that will support teachers to be more inclusive in their practice when planning and teaching Physical Education.

Offering many practical ideas to include pupils with specific additional needs across a range of activity areas, such as athletics, dance, gymnastics and swimming, this book will increase practitioners' confidence, enabling them to feel equipped to meet individual needs and include all pupils in their lessons. The range of authors provides a wide perspective and wealth of experience, and all the ideas have been trialled with students and young people, both nationally and internationally.

Written by practitioners for practitioners, this book is a valuable resource for trainee teachers, in-service teachers and practitioners working in a practical or sporting context with young people, and will support Physical Education lessons and physical activity sessions.

1 Athletics

Rebecca Foster

This section includes track/running, throws and jumps. Advice has been placed in sections linked to the young person’s specific learning needs, but we also recognise that many basic skills, such as running, jumping and throwing, are closely aligned to skills utilised in games; therefore, we hope that teachers may transfer some of the same concepts to other activities where appropriate.

Many skills can be adapted using modified equipment: for example, throwing lighter or easier to grip items, such as shuttlecocks, Wellington boots and pillows. Some young people may enjoy using a dog ball thrower to help fling tennis balls, and once thrown, the throwing implement becomes a handy way to retrieve the ball too! Other dog toys that have ropes and a light rubber weight are also easy for someone to fling from a sideways and/or backwards position.

As with all lessons, pre-planning is essential and often the weather dictates much of what we decide to teach and when. Some young people may lose warmth quicker than others, and others may overheat more rapidly. Reaction time when releasing equipment may also be slower, so allow time for delayed movement. It is suggested that sequenced movements, such as jumping patterns or throwing sequences, should only be developed if the young person has appropriate stability and is happy to progress.

Be mindful of health and safety aspects (as per all lessons) especially when throwing and jumping when the whole class is involved in the activity at once. An alternative approach is to create different activity stations using task cards, for example, ‘Nerf Ball throw’ as one station, overhead throw with a light medicine ball as another, throwing foam or plastic javelins to improve technique, target throws over various distances using bean bags, etc. With this organised, the teacher can then work with a small group at a time teaching the javelin throw. This may allow young people to refine skills as they rotate around each station, before receiving the technical input from the teacher. The teacher must ensure that they continue to have control over the whole class throughout when using this approach.

Athletics for young people who may have difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses

Key considerations

This list is in no particular order, nor is it essential to complete each and every time. It provides suggestions of some of the ways in which you can support the young person in your class. Some may be more relevant than others, so select what may work best for you. Safety and safe practice are paramount throughout, and only you know what is appropriate for the young people in your Physical Education (PE) lessons.

Before the lesson

• Where possible, give an indication of what you will be doing before the actual lesson. This can be given in advance, potentially 24 hours, especially if the young person is anxious.
• Ask the young person to contribute to your ideas of inclusion. Empower them.
• Ask the young person if they wish to work with a friend/group for particular activities. Consider doing this discreetly at first if you do not know the young person.
• Ask the young person if they wish for you to share some do’s and don’ts to the class about their specific needs. The young person may wish to lead this but allow them the choice. Create an atmosphere where peers feel comfortable to ask questions regarding the young person’s particular needs in a positive, considerate way.
• Use of brightly coloured equipment to assist with direction and highlighting obstacles is crucial. Planning of such equipment should be thought of ahead of the lesson to ensure these items are available.
• Allow the young person to have a safe word that can be used by all to protect each other, so the young person can orientate where people are around them. A common word is ‘voy’, meaning I am close and know you are there but proceed with caution; the word is intended to be repeated over and over to give perspective of where the person is.
• Encourage peers to have consideration of the young person who may have additional needs especially if they can see the young person may be in danger. Specific instructions could be given to one peer to help clarify information given by the teacher to the young person.
• It is valuable to allow all young people to experience working with others outside of their friendship group.
• It is vital to consider the equipment you use for these sports in particular, as missiles are being sent, often at speed! Audible balls are extremely vital and well worth the investment. However, when any audible ball is in flight, noise is often suspended so an alternative approach needs to be considered. A teacher can discuss this with the young person in question and either modify the activity or provide a separate, equally challenging and enjoyable alternative.
• Allow the young person to orientate themselves around the area.

During the lesson

• Consider using brightly coloured bibs and throw down markers that do not blend into the sports hall floor or wall/ceiling.
• Try to indicate directions of throw/movement by placing brightly coloured items for the young person to identify (brightly coloured pieces of card can be placed on walls or secured on rounders posts).
• Encourage peers to ‘look out’ for the young person if they see them in danger.
• Check with the young person to see if they want to change partners.
• Observe if the young person is challenged enough. Observe if they appear to be isolated and decide how you may wish to address this.
• If there is a teaching assistant assigned to the young person, consider asking for an update of progress.

After the lesson

• Allow the young person to provide feedback on what worked well for them.
• Seek out if the young person felt challenged enough: did their skills improve?
• Personally reflect on the suitability of your lesson.

OPEN – everyone can be included with very little modification

Track/running

• A tether within the warm-up could be used to familiarise the young person to guiding as well as moving with a sighted guide.
• Ask the young person if they want to hold hands, elbow or shoulder first. Allow time to practice...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of contributors
• Introduction
• 1 Athletics
• 2 Dance
• 3 Games
• 4 Gymnastics
• 5 Outdoor and adventurous activities
• 6 Swimming
• Additional resources
• Teaching assistant cards
• Index