Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social-communicative deficits and restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities (APA, 2013). While current estimates suggest 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with ASD, more alarming statistics indicate 1 in 50 school-aged children live with the disorder (Blumberg, Bramlett, Kogan,...
Background: Mastery of fundamental motor skills (FMS) in childhood is proposed to facilitate participation in physical activity (PA) opportunities, through context-specific application of FMS (Clarke & Metclafe, 2002; Stodden et al., 2008). Children with disabilities
impacting motor skill development thus are at greater risk for low PA participation. Evidence indicates...
Afterschool staff have been identified as a critical piece in the positive outcomes youth receive through participation in afterschool programs (Apsler, 2009; Daud & Carruthers, 2008; Riggs & Greenberg, 2004). These programs may benefit youth with disabilities but little is known about what influences staff to include youth with disabilities...
The inclusion of students with disabilities in general physical education (GPE) classes has become a concept and practice that is expected if not always understood. A review of inclusion in physical education literature suggested that GPE teachers possess less than favorable feelings towards the inclusion of students with disabilities in...
Physical education is important to promote physical activity of adolescents with and without disabilities, but many adolescents are not active during physical education classes. Innovative instructional strategies are imperative to change this phenomenon, but it will be challenging to develop effective instructional strategies without thorough understanding of students' physical activity...
The methods to educate students with disabilities in physical education contexts vary greatly due to their unique characteristics and special needs, requiring different teaching methods on an individual basis. In order to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities in physical education settings, teachers should employ evidence-based practice (EBP). However,...
School Physical Education programs provide key opportunities to promote lifetime physical activity (PA) to students, while at the same time students can build a sense of enjoyment. The purpose of this study first sought to determine the effects of varying instructional approaches on the enjoyment and PA levels of students...
Generalizability theory was used to examine sources of variability in daily physical activity levels of secondary students with and without developmental disabilities (DD), and to determine minimum number of days required for monitoring their typical physical activity levels. Sixteen participants with DD (M = 16.7 years, SD = 2.7 years),...
As obesity rates of children and adolescents rise within the Unites States, physical activity becomes increasingly important for adolescents with and without a disability. As the trend toward increased obesity rates in adolescents continues, there are similiar increases in the percentage of children being educated in inclusive settings. The purpose...
The focus of this research was to gain an understanding of physical activity in elementary school-aged children with mental retardation (MR). The primary purpose of the first study was to investigate physical activity levels of children with and without MR in both school and out of school environments. The secondary...