Adapted physical education is the art and science of developing, implementing and monitoring an instructional program for a learner to give him or her the necessary skills for a lifetime of leisure, recreation and sport experience to enhance physical fitness and wellness. The teaching of adapted physical education has for a long time faced several agreements and disagreements that has supported the continued teaching or deterred its teaching.

Development of individualized education programs. Students are given individualized education programs that are consistent with the legislation.  (Joseph Winnick & David Porretta, 2016). This have enhanced sport participation because each student has his or her own education program that best suits them, for instances special  programs for students with disabilities. Furthermore, new methods of administering the new Brockport physical fitness tests to see whether the students are actually learning from the lessons and whether some adjustments need to made in the physical education lessons. These individualized education programs actually supports the teaching of adapted physical education to a greater percentage.

Training of physical educators in order to gain skills required to teach students with disabilities and those with no disabilities. Trained teachers were effective at assisting students to improve their motor performance in integrated physical education classes. (Cathy Houston-Wilson, John M Dunn, Hans van der Mars & Jeffrey McCubbin, 1997). Trained teachers have skills to handle and teach both students with disabilities and those with no disabilities. This makes it easier for the teacher to integrate the classes and even reduces the number of lessons for the same topic as both students are taught in the same lesson. Student performance is also improved because the students can share ideas and even help each other where one finds difficulties. This way adapted physical education is encouraged.

Physical educators may have different attitudes towards their students. This may also depend on whether the students are physically handicapped or have learning handicaps. Physical educators have more favorable attitudes towards students with learning handicaps than those with physical handicaps. (Terry L Rizzo, 1984). Teachers finds students with learning handicaps easier to deal with because they understand their problems and have solutions to those problems since most educators are trained on skills of dealing with learning handicaps. Unfornately, most educators are not trained on how to deal with students with physical handicaps, so these students are mostly neglected. In addition, as grade level advances from primary to intermediate and upper, the teachers’ attitude progressively becomes less favorable. Attitude of the physical educators towards students with physical handicaps does not support the teaching of physical education.

One must have a sporting body in order to take part in physical education. Physical education extends beyond the normative conception of having a sporting body.(Hayley Fitzgerald,2015). Most young people have this perception that physical education majorly means that one must have a sporting body. This is not true because even people living with disabilities can actually participate in sports and they actually perform so well in physical education than most people with no disabilities. This argument is against physical education for people living with disabilities and alienates them from recreational and sporting activities.

In conclusion, Adapted physical education is important in improving physical fitness and wellness. Leisure and recreational activities including sports should be encouraged at all costs because it helps in fighting major health problems today. People living with disabilities should be encouraged to take part in physical education. Therefore, adapted physical education should be supported at all levels in a community.

References.

Joseph Winnick & David Porretta, (2016).Human kinetics. Adapted Physical Education and Sport 6^th edition.

Terry L Rizzo, (1984). Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 1(4) 267-274.

Cathy Houston – Wilson, John M Dunn, Hans van der Mars & Jeffrey McCubbin, (1997). Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 14(4), 298-313.

Hayley Fitzgerald,(2005). Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 10(1), 41-59.