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DISABILITY INCLUSION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

 

“The New Zealand Curriculum applies to all… students irrespective their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, belief, ability or disability¸ social or cultural background, or geographical location.”

(MoE, 2007, p. 6)

 

The above quote highlights the New Zealand education system’s commitment to inclusion; however, in reality, for learning involving physical activity, students with disabilities are not expected to participate (Neilson, 2005). Many of these students find themselves holding gear, assisting by timing, or are sent to the library rather than actively participating in the learning. Students with disabilities can be included in Health and Physical Education programmes involving physical activity, and it is a teacher’s responsibility to ensure this inclusion. 

DEFINITION OF A DISABILITY

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines a disability as:

 

“Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.”

(Neilson, 2005, p.11)

 

While examples may relate to a certain physical, sensory, or intellectual disability, this page is written with this definition in mind and relates to physical activity inclusion of students that fit the above definition. 

Figure 1: An example of how easy it can be to adapt a physical activity to include a student with a disability. 

Inclusive Physical Education: This video gives a brief introduction to what inclusion in physical activity is and looks like using the TREE framework.

Teachers TV: Inclusion in PE: This video shows how one teacher is including his students with disabilities in physical activity. 

BENEFITS OF PHYISICAL ACTIVITY FOR STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY

What all parents want from their children is their belonging and participation in society, and inclusion of children with a disability in physical activity is a part of this. Including them within physical activities improves their self-esteem and their social interactions with others (Neilson, 2005). Including role models within the physical activity context is another way to boost student confidence as they can be inspired by others to meet their goals. Other benefits include the enhancement of fitness, flexibility, strength and motor performance and improvement in their behaviour.

 

Students with disabilities get the same benefits that students without a disability get from physical activity Read more in the Effects of Physical Activity section. 

 

BARRIERS OF INCLUSION

A teacher’s attitude has the biggest impact on the inclusion of a student with a disability (Neilson, 2005). Where a teacher has a low expectation of a student and believes they cannot participate in physical activity programmes, the student’s confidence and self-esteem will be impacted. Lower expectations usually produces lower performance, so even if a teacher includes the student with a disability but has low expectations, that student’s performance will be impacted. With a ‘can do’ attitude and high expectations of the student, a teacher can overcome many barriers and be creative to enable inclusion in physical activity.

HOW CAN A TEACHER ENSURE INCLUSION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?

A teacher that is prepared to think ‘outside the box’ and make adaptions for their physical activity learning while also understanding the student’s needs will  result in a more enthusiastic student who wants to and believes they can participate (Neilson, 2005). It is important for the teacher to know their student so they know what they can achieve and all their learning needs. Knowing their student and including them in physical activity can be guided by:

 

  • The child themselves – The focus is on the child themselves, and asking them can be a great way to find out what can be done to help them increase their participation (Mclennon, 1997).

 

  • Parents – Partnership with parents is important for understanding your student and working together and gaining support in the inclusion of their child. Parents can also offer advice on the amount or kind of activities their child is able to do.

 

  • Individual Education Plan (IEP) – An IEP is a plan that shows how the curriculum or school program will be adapted to fit the student (MOE, 2014). It is developed with the contributions from those that know the student best that includes student goals and support needed. This is a great guide for a teacher when planning physical activity units and is a great tool for making goals for the student.

 

  • Other students – Students in the class may have ideas for how to include their classmate with disabilities and at the same time this can show how the classmates are eager to support their classmate.

 

  • Colleagues and Experts – There are many people that can provide ideas and support so teachers should use these. Colleagues may have other ideas that you have not come up with and it is important to be aware of experts in your area who can support you.
 
 
 
TREE FRAMEWORK
The TREE Framework is a tool teachers can use to guide them as they modify their physical activity units to ensure they are inclusive of students with a disability. Maioro Barton also mentioned the TREE Framework as an effective tool for teachers to use to include all students with disabilities in physical activitiy or any HPE unit. 
 
Teaching Style: Using different methods to explain such as demonstration,     verbal, or hands on. 
Rules: changing one or two rules of the games or activities to allow                 inclusion while making sure it is still challenging for all.
Equipment: Experiment with different types of equipment and different           sizes of equipment. 
Environment: Ensure the learning space is suitable for all.
 
See the video below for more info on the TREE Framework!

Disability Sport: TREE Framwork Introduction: This video gives more detail about the TREE Framework and how it can help you to include students with disabilities. 

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