Education professionals are morally compelled to ensure that all students feel accepted, safe, and are represented in their classes. Physical education is no different; however, specific practitioner-orientated strategies to embark in more socially just practices are scarce in physical education literature. This article provides the first part of…

Children with disabilities have mixed feelings about their inclusion experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of results from the Lieberman-Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education. Experts in adapted physical education (n = 10) established content and face validity (mean = 4.68 ± 0.56) on a…

This dissertation consists of three studies which examined multidimensional balance in youth (= 21 years; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004) with visual impairments (VIs) using the Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Brief-BESTest). These studies have the potential to inform (adapted) physical education curricula and…

Quality physical education can play a critical role in helping students become more active, physically literate, and develop the skills and interests to remain physically active throughout their lives. The healthy, physically active student is more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful in school. Unfortunately, findings from…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the workplace experiences of physical education and adapted physical education teachers while also considering biological sex. Role socialization theory was used as a guiding lens. Method: Participants included 653 teachers (women = 382) who taught physical education (n = 420) or adapted physical…

School psychologists are well-positioned to assist practitioners in engaging students in physical activity (PA) which can increase student access to improved well-being and associated health benefits. This may be of particular importance for adolescents with moderate to severe developmental disabilities (DD; autism and intellectual disability) who…

The disability of autism and the use of assistive technology is a new and emerging issue for current and future adapted physical educators. One of the fastest-growing populations in schools and society today consists of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To adequately determine if adapted physical education teachers are knowledgeable…

Dance -- created by a moving body over space and time -- creates space for non-verbal communication and self-expression. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may particularly benefit from the use of their bodies to convey their needs and desires. This research presents the experiences of individuals involved in two recreational dance programs…

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of adapted recreational therapy program on gait patterns of children with autism. The current study included twenty-one autistic boys aged between 8 and 15 years. The scores of the children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the "Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2-Turkish…

The articles included in this special issue of Quest emerged from a research workshop entitled "Thinking About Our Thinking in Adapted Physical Activity," held at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, from June 18-19, 2013. The aim of the workshop was to examine different worldviews that contribute to the adapted physical…

In addition to psychomotor and cognitive learning, social development is one of the three pillars of the national standards for physical education instruction. Though a plethora of research has exhibited the benefits social inclusion can have for students with and without disabilities, inclusion cannot be successful unless physical educators are…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the attitudes of physical education teachers about inclusion and teaching students with disabilities in Brazil before and after they participated in a professional development workshop focused on inclusive ideology and strategies. The participants were Brazilian physical education teachers (pretest sample,…

Purpose: Educational research often provides insight into the potential best practices to use within the classroom setting. Yet, limited information is available on teachers' perspectives toward research in the field of adapted physical education (APE). The current study examined adapted physical educators' perceptions toward research. Method:…

The current practice of the least restrictive environment (LRE) policy in physical education (PE) settings is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to explore how PE and adapted physical education (APE) teachers make placement decisions and what factors impact those practices. Qualitative data were collected via survey and follow-up…

Physical Educators face significant challenges in including students with disabilities. To address this issue, appropriate professional development must be provided. Traditional professional development is limited by barriers such as cost, time, location and availability. The purpose of this randomised experimental design study was to determine…