The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that school districts provide eligible students with specially designed instruction that confers a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Depending on the unique needs of a student, FAPE may include physical education services. The IDEA also requires that a student's individualized…

Since 1975, the implementation of the Least Restrictive Environment, a federal mandate of Public Law 94-142, has been historically challenging for physical educators and adapted physical educators. Confusion and misinterpretation of the law's intent, as well as competing ideologies, have perpetuated failed Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)…

The importance of physical activity has received considerable attention during the past decade. Physical education has been viewed as a cost-effective way to promote physical activity as a public health initiative. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that a "substantial percentage" of students' overall…

The majority of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs include some form of adapted physical education (APE) training for preservice teachers; yet PETE candidates report feeling underprepared to teach individuals with disabilities. The number of students with disabilities included in general education continues to grow, in accordance…

Adapted physical education (APE) is designed to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities within the least restrictive environment. Placement in the right environment can help the child succeed, but the wrong environment can create a very negative experience. This article presents a systematic approach to making decisions when…

The booklet is designed to help teachers understand the role of physical education in relation to P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Following an introduction is a section addressing the definition and legal provisions of an individualized education program (IEP). A second section describes the IEP as including a…

Individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped students are discussed in terms of contents, legal requirements, monitoring, and their implications for physical education. The role of the physical educator in developing IEPs and in providing specially designed physical education services is considered. Approaches to assessment and…

The development and implementation of individualized education programs as required by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) is the subject of this program guide, and the following questions are addressed: (1) What are the programs? (2) For whom must they be developed? (3) When do they become effective? (4) Who is…

Designed to meet the requirements of recent federal legislation, the booklet describes Project DART, which provides services in adapted physical education for handicapped children in Georgia. The first section examines the state of the art in adapted physical education and reviews the mandates of Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All…

Current federal legislation has shifted the focus of education for students with disabilities from issues of access and opportunity to issues about improving teaching and learning, specifically focusing on students? involvement in the general curriculum. Effective assessment techniques are critical to the educational process in order for the…

The 1977 annual report of the National Advisory Committee on the Handicapped focuses on implementation of individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped children, as mandated in P.L. 94-142, the Education For All Handicapped Children Act. Five recommendations are made, including the recommendation for increased appropriation for…

The 1978 deadline for implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL94-142) requires that physical educators act immediately to develop appropriate instructional programs for both mildly and severely handicapped children and to train personnel with the expertise needed to deliver these programs. (MB)

The majority of handicapped students can and should be integrated into the regular physical education program. Children who exhibit severe motor impairment should be placed in specialized programs. Segregated programs should develop sufficient levels of skill so that the child can be integrated into the regular program. (JN)

This article presents basic information for regular and special physical educators to help them better understand the procedural rights of parents as well as the schools, and to help them make appropriate judgments for the physical education placement and programing of students with handicaps. (IAH)

To comply with the Education for the Handicapped Act, comprehensive needs assessments were conducted in Ohio relative to appropriate physical education programming in the least restrictive environment. Results from an assessment in an urban school district confirmed the belief that physical education teachers did not possess needed competencies…