Adapted Physical Education (APE)Ann Hughes,

New Hanover SchoolsBarbara Meleney,

Durham Public Schools

Special Education: Common Core Curriculum

North Carolina State Board Policy requires physical education for all students, as a part of the Healthful Living Curriculum.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires Adapted Physical Education for those students with disabilities who require specially designed instructions in order to receive Physical Education.

North Carolina Adapted Physical Education Advisory Council (N-CAPE-AC) and Laurie Ray (NC DPI APE liaison) can assist with questions

Adapted PE : Healthful Living/PE Curriculum

AdaptED Physical Education…IS Special Education

• What are the areas of need for this student?• Does s/he qualify under one of the fourteen educational

categories for special education? • Does s/he require APE as specially designed instruction

for the Healthful Living/PE curriculum?• For any students that demonstrate a need, APE is

required by IDEA, it is not a local option or decision• APE is NOT a related service. It is Special Education

with identified need in the area of instruction for physical education

Eligibility for Special Education and Related Services: Three Prongs1. The student is a ‘student with a disability’

that meets the criteria under one of the fourteen eligibility categories under IDEA.

2. The disability adversely affects educational (academic and/or functional) performance at school.

3. The performance deficits related to the disability are such that the student requires specially designed instruction in order to ensure access to the general curriculum.

APE INSTRUCTION: GUIDING QUESTIONS

• Can this student participate in PE with non-disabled peers?

• Can PE instruction be differentiated so s/he can participate? Provide written instructions in advance Deliberate small group assignment Small ratio (teachers : students) or small groups Modify tasks or skills

• What are this student’s strengths in PE?• What are this student’s needs in PE?• In order for this student to participate in and learn

the PE curriculum, do we have to design PE instruction just for him/her?

• What does the general education physical educator report about this student’s participation, abilities and needs in PE class?

APE INSTRUCTION: GUIDING QUESTIONS, con’d

Special Education & Need for APE Instruction• EC students must be provided physical education • Whether a student receives APE is an IEP team decision,

driven by data• Input is needed from the general education PE teacher as a

part of the evaluation or re-evaluation process regarding APE• If a need for APE is determined, a Present Level of Academic

and Functional Performance and student Goals are developed by the IEP team with input from someone knowledgeable about the PE curriculum

If APE services are being considered…• The IEP team, including someone with

firsthand knowledge about the child’s abilities, should review existing data to determine any need for additional data to meet all areas of student need, including APE

• If data are needed, “Other” should be checked on the DEC 2 and “Adapted Physical Education Evaluation” should be written in

HEALTHFUL LIVING CURRICULUM• General physical educators and adapted physical

educators in NC follow the state Healthful Living Curriculum and use the new Essential Standards and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Standards

• PE and APE must be taught by a teacher with current PE licensure

• All students must access physical education in his/her least restrictive

environment

Continuum of Possibilities for APE services

SeparatePE class

Home, Residential

Home or HospitalRegular

PE class

RegularPE class with

Accomodations/ Modifications

RegularPE class with Additional Staff

SeparatePE class with Additional Staff

SeparatePublic School

Documenting APE Services on the IEP

“Does this student require Adapted Physical Education?” (on DEC/4)...Checking yes means:

1. An evaluation has provided the IEP team with sufficient data to determine whether the student requires APE

2. The IEP team has determined the student requires adapted physical education

3. The student’s present level of academic and functional performance has been developed

4. There are goals developed by the IEP team including someone knowledgeable in the PE curriculum

5. The IEP indicates how student progress on the goal will be reported

APE Goals/Objectives/Outcomes• Written by someone with knowledge of the PE curriculum

• Functional (What do we want to see the student doing?)• Measurable

– Behavior, conditions, criteria• Student-centered• Meaningful; minimal important change• Realistic; attainable within time frame• Age & developmentally appropriate• Clear - no jargon

Areas to Consider for APE GOALS: Fitness, Motor Skills, Participation• To develop and improve cardio- endurance• To develop eye-hand; eye-foot coordination• To increase time on task in Physical

Education• To develop functional competence in

locomotor and object control skills• To improve social interaction with peers

Who Can Provide APE:• All teachers licensed in physical education

are qualified to provide adapted physical education—this does not mean they feel prepared to do so!!

• Best practice is to employ a physical educator with CAPE certification for your APE program to plan and implement

Who Provides Adapted PE Service?• Adapted PE Specialist

– PE Teacher with specialized training in:• Assessment and evaluation• Developing an

individualized PE program for students with disabilities

• Knowledge and understanding of a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities

• General PE Teacher– PE Teacher with

training in:• Motor skills and physical

development• Fitness skills• Games and sports• Lifetime activities• Limited training in

working with students with disabilities

No APE Specialist???Providing Adapted PE when your county does not

have an APE Specialist can be challenging. Encourage PE staff to update knowledge of disabilities

and teaching strategies Collaborate with other service providers (NC State

Adapted PE Council, OT, PT, EC Teachers, Parents, Administrators)

Explore and use community resources (colleges, universities, recreation programs, sports programs for the disabled).

Providing APE• Without a APE specialist, APE services still

must be delivered…• Collaboration between general education PE

teachers and related service providers (especially PTs and/or OTs) can be very effective

• Contact Laurie Ray or North Carolina Adapted Physical Education Advisory Council

Monitoring Progress and Documenting APE Services• Each session must be documented

– What was done?– How did the student respond?

• Student progress towards the goal(s) must be provided:– By someone knowledgeable about the PE curriculum– By someone present in the APE/PE class on a

consistent basis– On schedule with report cards

Exiting APEExiting APE requires the IEP team to review the student’s existing data to determine if additional data is needed to make a decision regarding the

need for Special Education in the area of APE. The re-evaluation process (DEC 7) must be completed.

Evaluations may or may not be required to make

this decision but the re-evaluation process is mandated to exit Special Education/APE.

Exiting APE if it was the sole special education service…• Requires a review of the student’s special education

program (re-evaluation process/ DEC 7)• Requires the IEP team to determine if it has sufficient

(formal and/or informal) data or if additional data is neededPotential types of data: standardized assessment observations of student objective measures parent input summary of student performance in physical education

Thank you for your kind attention!Contact information:

N-CAPE-AC=please see map

Laurie Ray, APE Liaison for NC DPI919)636-1827

laurie_ray@med.unc.edu

http://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/instructional-resources/adapted-physical-education