1. Lifetime Physical Fitness For students with mental disabilities

2. Important benefits:   Social   Academic   Health Students with challenges have the same fitness needs and capacities as their peers without disabilities.

3. What needs to be done? -Outside the classroom-   Stop exempting students from physical education. Advocate (school level and district level) to prevent this. – –Prevents students from learning lifelong behaviors consistent with national standards set by NASPE – –Teaches students that their differences mean that physical activity is not for them

4.   Utilize the IEP process and CSO’s to address the needs of an exceptional student. Standard 1: Movement Forms (PE.S.1) Students will demonstrate competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms. Standard 2: Development of Motor Skills (PE.S.2) Students will apply concepts and principles of human movement to the development of motor skills and learning of new skills. Standard 3: Physical Activity (PE.S.3) Students will exhibit a physically active lifestyle that provides the opportunity for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction. Standard 4: Physical Fitness (PE.S.4) Students will apply physical fitness concepts to achieve and maintain a health- enhancing level of physical fitness. Standard 5: Responsible Personal and Social Behavior (PE.S.5) Students will demonstrate an understanding of responsible personal and social behaviors in physical activity settings.

5. -Inside the classroom- EExpose students at an early age to a variety of physical and recreational activity choices.   Provide more resources and training to teachers with students that are challenged.

6. -At home- Involving the family: – –See what resources family has – –Consider role of sibling interests and influence on your student

7. Summing it all up   Physical activity assists the exceptional student in: – –Gaining self confidence – –Enhancing health – –Gaining life skills – –Learning social skills

8. Information obtained from: Ayvazoglu, Nalan R., Thomas Ratliffe, and Francis M. Kozub. (2004, November/December). Encouraging lifetime physical fitness. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37 (2), 16-20. Retrieved June 7, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://libproxy.shepherd.edu.