Jon's Heroes in Training (JHT) represents a strong cross-sector collaboration that was created and has evolved over the past five years. JHT is an after-school program where children (ages 3-22) with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis come to the local university to engage in high-quality physical education lessons designed and…

Physical educators, including adapted physical educators, are often called upon to advocate for their students with disabilities, their physical education programs, or themselves to affect change in practice or a student's Individualized Education Program. These advocacy efforts are most effective when physical educators are knowledgeable about…

Not enough information on instructional practices specific for students with dyslexia in PE has been published. Given dyslexia's prevalence in the population, and the impact it has on students holistic learning, there is a tremendous need for teacher training about "best practices" when teaching those with dyslexia in all subjects,…

The aim of this article is to improve physical education (PE) teachers' knowledge about working with children diagnosed with cancer. Physical activity (PA) in this population is extremely important. Not only do these children have an increased risk of co-morbidities compared to healthy peers, but cancer treatment has negative effects on fitness…

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 students with disabilities are entitled to specially designed physical education in the least restrictive environment outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Adapted Physical Education (APE) is physical education designed to meet the needs of all children…

During an educational climate that is marked by teacher attrition and shortages, relationship-building among teachers is more critical than ever. The workplace relationships between adapted and general physical education teachers has been problematized and may negatively affect the education of their students with disabilities. Grounded in role…

Implementation of the IDEA law is designed for schools to educate all students in the least restrictive environment. However, without the awareness and understanding of all educators involved, key components of the federal law could be sidestepped. Collaboration between general physical education (GPE) and adapted physical education (APE) teachers…

The purpose of the article is to discuss the universal design for learning (UDL) framework as a curriculum development tool and illustrate how it can be implemented in the physical education setting to include children with disabilities. Although a few scholars in physical education have advocated for the implementation of UDL, their efforts may…

Adapted physical education (APE) is offered as a course in most physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to better prepare preservice teachers (PST) in giving instruction to students with disabilities. As a growing pedagogical approach, service-learning (SL) continues to be integrated into the APE course, as a supplement to PSTs'…

Flipgrid provides a medium for PETE students to embrace technology within the classroom setting. The goal of this research was to integrate Flipgrid into PETE courses at a mid-size university, reviewing changes in student skill performance, peer interaction/engagement, and cognitive development.

The Media Richness Theory (MRT) is an important framework that has been used to explain how teachers and/or parents may use media to communicate with each other. Choosing an inappropriate medium may instead oversimplify or overcomplicate information, which may negatively influence a child's participation in physical activity. The purpose of this…

An adapted grading system for students with disabilities in general physical education allows utilization of existing assessment tools such as rubrics and checklists and provides methods of individualization and modification based on the student's needs. Adapted grading methods include weighting components of class grades and unit assessments,…

Research indicates that although students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), can be successful in acquiring motor and sport-related skills during physical education, they tend to struggle with generalizing those skills to other settings. Difficulties with generalization of physical education skills may…

Assistive technology supplements and supports the learning of students with disabilities in school and at home. Thanks to federal mandates, students with disabilities receive consideration for assistive technology devices and services--the tools and supports needed to achieve determined learning outcomes. Assistive technology devices and services…

This article aims to provide insight into the daily experiences and struggles of APE teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic from across the nation. More specifically, six adapted physical educators from across the nation have contributed to this article, sharing their perspectives and teaching experiences, including strategies used during the…