Including Students with Severe, Multiple Disabilities in General Physical Education

Abstract

T he least restrictive environment (LRE) doctrine in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students with disabilities be educated together with students without disabilities. Placing students with disabilities into a separate adapted physical education program should occur only when the students are clearly not successful in general physical education (GPE) or when they pose a clear safety risk to others or to themselves (Wright & Wright, 2005). This LRE doctrine has been interpreted to suggest that most students with disabilities should start out in GPE with supplemental aids and supports as needed to ensure success. If the student is not successful even with these supports, then the student can be placed in an alternative setting (Block, 1996, 2007). Unfortunately, in practice, students with more severe disabilities never have the opportunity to try GPE. These students are directly placed in an alternative setting because the student’s IEP team (including the GPE teacher) believes that the student will not be safe or successful in GPE, will not benefi t from GPE activities, or may require so many accommodations that his or her participation will detract from the experience of peers without disabilities. While these are all valid concerns, many students with severe disabilities can safely, successfully, and meaningfully participate in GPE programs at all age levels with careful planning and proper support (Block, Zeman, & Henning, 1997; Obrusnikova, Block, & Valkova, 2003; Vogler, Koranda, & Romance, 2000). The purpose of this article is to detail specifi c strategies that allow a student with severe, multiple disabilities (SMD) to be included in GPE. These strategies revolve around three major themes: (1) identifying and selecting appropriate goals and objectives for the student with disabilities and then fi nding ways to help the student achieve these goals and objectives while in GPE, (2) making the GPE setting safe for the student with SMD, and (3) facilitating social interaction between students with and without SMD. Specifi c examples of simple modifi cations that allow the student with SMD to be safely and meaningfully involved in GPE will be presented throughout. With careful planning and support, you can successfully include students with severe, multiple disabilities in general physical education.