Do not assume that PE lessons are inaccessible for children and young people with disabilities. PE is an important vehicle for developing social skills, teamwork, leadership skills, improving movement, balance and spatial/perceptual ability for all. Preferably it should not be a time to be spent catching up with other work, doing homework or physio exercises.
1.Be aware of the child or young person’s needs
- Responses or behaviours may not be typical, so assume there is a reason for this, and check first before trying to eliminate the behaviour
- Not all children and young people with the same condition have the same disability
- Find out about child or young person’s abilities before teaching PE, start where they are
- Find out about any restrictions e.g. forward rolls for children or young people with shunts
- Ask the child, young person, family, teaching assistant or a relevant professional e.g. physiotherapist
2. Use concise, sequential language
- Children or young people may take things literally, or not be able to decode banter or sarcasm
3. Use visual and auditory instructions and directions
- Some children or young people will struggle to hear, see or make sense of vision or hearing
4. Give the child or young person the opportunity to check understanding
- It may be best to wait until after the initial group talk as they may not want ask to in front of the group
- Use discreet questioning to check understanding
5. Consider your positioning re-audio and visual clarity
- Sunlight behind someone can make a silhouette, and facing away can mean a child or young person can’t hear, lip read or get visual clues
6. Condition any game to ensure success is achieved
- Adapt movements or in group games adapt rules or equipment e.g. use bigger target, or have staggered starting points
- It is easier to catch a ball which has been bounced, or hit a stationary ball
.7. Use small-sided games, consider the dynamics of pairs or groups
- Some children and young people may struggle in large group with lots of people around them
- Some children and young people may find it difficult to work in pairs
- Encourage independence to avoid over-reliance on adult support
8. Offer everyone a range of equipment to choose from
- Koosh, spider balls, bean bag, but not just for the child or young person with physical difficulties.
- Slower moving objects are easier to catch, e.g. lightweight balls or balloons
- Use lightweight or Velcro bats. Grips are available to secure bats
9. Create clear boundaries, considering size and surface of area
- Some children and young people need to have a reduced playing area
- Some may need a smooth level surface with bold floor markings, e.g. those with physical and/or visual difficulties. A mat could be used to denote area
10. Be flexible regarding getting changed for P.E
- Anxiety because of changing, or taking too long, can make a PE lesson challenging for some children and young people. Offer opportunity to change elsewhere or before everyone else. Do not give instructions when a signing interpreter is not present, e.g. in a male changing room if the interpreter is female and elsewhere
For more information:
Activity Alliance provide free activity cards that cater for all age groups and school development stages. With 25 games and activities across five different categories there’s plenty of choice for teachers, children and young people.. The categories include warm up games, fundamental skills, striking and fielding skills, invasion games, and net court, and wall games. These can be downloaded using the following link: Inclusive PE activity cards (activityalliance.org.uk)