A Teacher's Guide to Including Students with Disabilities in Regular Physical Education.

This book focuses on the topic of including all students in physical education classes. The primary audience is teachers and designers of physical education curriculum; however, the book is beneficial reading for other team members responsible for designing and implementing an individual education plan. The book is presented in three sections. in the first section, a brief perspective of special education law is provided, with an emphasis on references to physical education. Chapter 1 provides a definition of physical education and its components. Chapter 2 defines the concept of "inclusion" and provides specific examples of what it is and is not. The third chapter develops the concept of the educational team and explains the roles of various team members, including physical therapists.

The second section provides examples of how to develop a long-range plan using an ecological or functional approach to evaluating an individual's needs and in setting goals. The author stresses the importance of adequate and appropriate evaluation, taking the position that many of the test instruments that are used for evaluation and providing age equivalency scores are not appropriate tools for extrapolating goals to the individual education plan. Rather, the importance of identifying desirable functional activities is stressed. The curriculum is then evaluated to determine how the educational setting can best meet the identified needs, and what modifications to the curriculum are needed. Finally, specific desired activities within the curriculum are broken down into short-term goals. A case study format is used to provide the reader with examples of this process. The author provides extensive examples of modifications that may be made to address specific student limitations, such as impaired balance, vision, mobility, or hearing. Examples are also provided for modifications to individual and team games and sports, including breaking them into skill activities for practice, changing the playing field or rules, and successfully involving all students in the same game.

The third section is on implementation of inclusive physical education programs, with a chapter each on preschool, elementary school, and middle and high schools. These chapters discuss teaching styles, age-appropriate activities, how to promote peer interaction, and how to determine the amount and level of assistance that may be needed to achieve the stated goals.

This book would be beneficial reading to the therapist working in the school setting and interacting with a teacher who is developing or modifying a physical education curriculum. It would make an excellent reference for teachers who have not worked with individuals requiring special modifications. The author does a good job of presenting curriculum analysis and of stressing the team approach to education, making the book a good reference for the entire team.

Ms Kloc provides therapy and consulting services in schools in southern Indiana through a three-county school cooperative.