Scheduled for Sport Management, Special Populations, Leisure and Recreation Posters, Thursday, April 3, 2003, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall A


Perceptions of Students With Disabilities in Adapted Physical Activity Programs

Carol A. Ryan, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY and Louisa S. DeBolt, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY

Often included in introductory adapted physical education courses are clinics for students with disabilities. These clinics provide pre-service physical educators and exercise science majors an opportunity to work with persons with disabilities. Instructors often receive feedback from parents and university students, yet may not receive feedback from the participants themselves. The purpose of this study was to solicit information from the individuals with disabilities participating in a clinic associated with the adapted physical education introductory classes taught at Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky Universities. The activities offered in these clinics were a combination of swimming, physical fitness, fundamental motor skills, and sports skills. The clinics were once per week for 6 and 10 weeks. Personal interviews were given to 21 individuals with disabilities ranging in age from six to 21 years. The individuals with disabilities were personally interviewed and videotaped responding to four questions: What activities did you like best about the clinic? What activities did you like least? What, if anything, did you learn by participating in the clinic? What suggestions do you have for improving the clinic? The responses to each question were then compared and analyzed for similarities and differences among the individuals with disabilities. The results of the study indicated that over 80% of the participants enjoyed the aquatics activities best. While they least liked the gymnasium portion of the clinics. The majority of the participants indicated that they learned to swim during clinic, and most did not have any suggestions for improving clinic. The small number of suggestions (18%) related to increasing the pool time, or eliminating the gymnasium activities. Although many of the participants with disabilities prefer the aquatics activities, the authors feel the motor and fitness activities are equally as important. The results of this survey give the university professor of the introductory adapted physical education class a better understanding of what students with disabilities prefer during adapted physical activity clinics.

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