At the University of Central Missouri (UCM), the THRIVE program is made up of young adults, ages 18 to 25, who have developmental or intellectual disabilities. A merger occurred between the THRIVE program and the adapted physical education course required for physical education teacher education (PETE) students to provide practical experiences for…

This research is conducted to determine the physical profiles of sitting volleyball players of the Turkish National Team. 12 male players from Turkish Sitting Volleyball National Team volunteered to participate in the study. The anthropometric measurements were taken over dominant extremity. In order to determine the physical features of the…

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…

The focus of this chapter is to provide an overview of the role of adapted physical education in the school curriculum as determined by federal law. Adapted physical education is not a new concept, yet dependent upon school district resources, students with unique motor needs may or may not have access to adapted physical education provided by…

Special education administrators oversee students with disabilities' education, which includes physical education (PE). However, it has been well-reported that special education administrators have a dearth of knowledge with regard to PE for students with disabilities (Gray, 2016; Stewart, 2010). The ability of traditional professional development…

Background: Many individuals with intellectual disabilities experience challenges to participating in organized sport, despite its known benefits. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of participating in sport (Special Olympics) from the perspectives of athletes with intellectual disabilities. Methods: Five…

Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), requires all children with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The LRE requirement means that students with disabilities, to the maximum extent possible, should be educated in the general…

Current research has shown that children with disabilities often felt that their physical education teacher was not prepared to provide them with quality physical education experiences. Over 50% of physical education teachers did not feel prepared to teach children with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to share a "Needs Assessment…

A shift in paradigm for pre-professional training as suggested in this paper focuses on the practica experience component. General Physical Education (GPE) has been recognized as a direct service; professionals in physical education (PE) and Adapted Physical Education (APE) must deliver instruction and services to students with and without…

Over time, the meaning of disability has been understood in a variety of ways. The way in which disability is understood is important because the language people use to describe individuals with disabilities influences their expectations and interactions with them. For physical education teachers, philosophical orientation in regard to disability…

It is commonly accepted that inquiry in adapted physical activity involves the use of different disciplines to address questions. It is often advanced today that complex problems of the kind frequently encountered in adapted physical activity require a combination of disciplines for their solution. At the present time, individual research…

General physical education (GPE) affords many opportunities for students with and without disabilities to interact and develop positive peer relationships. This case study describes one teacher's use of collaborative practices, universal design for learning (UDL), and the inclusion spectrum to create an accessible learning environment in which the…

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain master of arts students' academic and social experiences during the transition to an adapted physical education (APE) graduate program. In this study, we used the theory of transition, which allowed us to understand students' transition to graduate studies and to assist them in connecting to…

Family is a crucial factor to determine the amount, the duration, and the complexity of children's sport activities. This study aims at comparing the beliefs concerning the involvement in sport activities among parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) and parents of typically developing children (TDC). A phenomenological theoretical framework…

Emerging professionals, particularly senior-level undergraduate and graduate students in kinesiology who have an interest in physical education for individuals with and without disabilities, should understand the basic assumptions of the quantitative research paradigm. Knowledge of basic assumptions is critical for conducting, analyzing, and…