Physical activity knowledge and confidence of education staff in a special education setting

Abstract

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) are less likely to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines and have higher tendencies towards sedentary behaviors. Considering a large proportion of a child's day is spent at school, this setting provides a promising environment for increasing PA levels. Staff often significantly impact the success of PA within schools. Limited research has focused on PA knowledge and confidence of staff in a special education setting. In this study, staff from two Schools for Specific Purposes in Sydney, Australia, were invited to complete a questionnaire regarding their knowledge of child PA guidelines, and their confidence in delivering PA to children with ID. Questions were derived from the validated Schools Physical Activity & Nutrition Survey (SPANS). Descriptive analyses were completed on all variables. The questionnaire was completed by 55 of the 74 participants. Although 40.0% reported knowledge of Australian PA guidelines for children, only 20% correctly identified these guidelines. PA was perceived to be ‘extremely important’ (4.69/5) for children with ID, and staff reported ‘confidence’ (3.78/5) in delivering PA for children with ID. Only seven (12.7%) participants reported meeting the New South Wales Department of Education PA requirements (mean = 100 minutes per week). We conclude that despite confidence in delivery of PA and its perceived importance, staff within special education settings have little knowledge of child PA guidelines and are unlikely to meet current Department of Education requirements. We suggest a targeted intervention to improve staff knowledge of PA guidelines, which may enhance the delivery of PA for children with ID.