Peter Gaking ran around the Warren Elementary School gym on a recent Friday,
making his way through an obstacle course designed to teach students the parts
and functions of the heart.
The 10-year-old from Cockeysville has Down syndrome, but watching him go
through the course with his fourth grade classmates, it’s not that easy to tell. He’s a
little slower than some when doing the sit ups, but faster than others on the
scooters; he has a little trouble with a few of the directions, but sometimes he
follows the course correctly when the others don’t.
Peter is part of a program called Adaptive Physical Education, mandated by the
national Individuals with Disabilities Act, which gives disabled students equal
access to physical education. It is available to all students from elementary school
to high school.
“We’re really trying hard to get these students active,” said Linda Webert, the lead
consultant for Adaptive P.E. in Baltimore County schools. “There’s this whole
epidemic of children not being active. It’s a nationwide problem, but you see it
more with children with disabilities. They don’t have access to the programs the
larger population does.”
Steve Pfister, the head of the Howard County adaptive P.E. program, agrees.
“We don’t want these kids coming in to sit in the corner, we want to get them as
involved as possible,” he says. “They’re entitled to everything another kid gets.”
Students who qualify for the program have a range of diagnoses from paralysis to
autism. The classes are divided into two types: one with just qualifying students
and one with both disabled and non-disabled students. Depending on need,
students can be in just one or both types of classes.
The programs in Baltimore County and Howard County are different. In Baltimore,
the adaptive P.E. staff members act as consultants, giving P.E. teachers guidance
on how to best accommodate the students with special needs and occasionally
going out to the schools to help the teachers directly.
In Howard County, the adaptive P.E. staff travels from school to school every day
assisting with each class where there are students with disabilities. Classes
generally consist of the same sports and games as those of the other students,
but are adapted to fit individual needs. A basketball unit in a class with just
disabled students might not include a game against each other, but they might
play Around the World to work on their shooting skills. A class where the students
are mixed might include a game, but a few rules may be changed to
accommodate, for example, a student in a wheelchair.
In the end, it comes down to what is best for each student and finding a balance
between their cognitive and physical abilities. Some need more repetition and
supervision, while others need very little. Some may need major adaptations in
the class, while others won’t. It is an individualized education plan, according to
Webert.
“It’s a little trial and error, but after a while you get to know the kids and what
everyone can do,” said Beth Marchione, the P.E. teacher at Warren Elementary
School in Cockesyville.
The schools try for as much inclusion with other students as possible, according to
the directors of both programs. Sometimes, though, inclusion may not be what is
best for the student. For example a class full of students might be sensory
overload for a student with autism.
“Some parents want total inclusion, but my son would be lost,” said Julie Gaking,
Peter’s mother. She is happy with the mix of separate and included P.E. classes
he has, and thinks that both help him gain new skills.
While the work can be hard, it pays great dividends, according to Lynn Frost, an
adaptive P.E. teacher in Howard County. “I love the kids. I love the challenge,”
she said. “We get a bigger kick out of watching these kids do something little, like
catch a ball.”
The students also gain more than just physical activity, according to Pfister. The
games they play can reinforce counting and listening skills, organization, and
cooperation with others, among other things. And the students who do not need
adaptive P.E. also benefit by learning to help others, patience, and acceptance of
those with disabilities.
“Every time Peter can come in here, he’s happy,” Julie Gaking said. “He’s making
so many friends.”