Research suggests children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) engage in less physical activity (PA) than their typically developing peers, despite the known benefits of PA for this population. This paper describes our Movin’ & Groovin’ (M&G) program for children with NDDs, in addition to new programming elements (online programming - free and easily accessible at home via YouTube; large photos of children being active at M&G – role models for other children with NDDs). It would be worthwhile for other programs for children with NDDs to consider implementing similar elements as M&G to help increase the number of inclusive, accessible, PA programs available to children with NDDs and facilitate PA participation at home.
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently encounter barriers to participating in inclusive physical activity. This qualitative case study, grounded in interpretive phenomenology, explored the lived experience of a child with ASD engaged in Movin’ and Groovin,’ an adaptive physical activity program designed for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. One-on-one semi-structured interviews and background questionnaires were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to capture diverse perspectives. Three key themes emerged: (1) “She has just come out of her shell so much,” (2) Reciprocity: “Just treating everyone like family,” and (3) “M&G lets me do my own thing.” These insights contribute to understanding how inclusive physical activity programs can create empowering environments that support holistic development in children with ASD and other neurodevelopmental challenges, informing best practices for program design and implementation.
Adapted physical education (APE) teachers play a vital role in ensuring equitable access to quality physical education for students with disabilities, yet many leave the profession due to low job satisfaction and limited support. The purpose of this investigation was to interview 12 early career and veteran adapted physical education teachers to explore how social agents, assigned roles and responsibilities, and working conditions influence APE teachers’ job satisfaction. Twelve interviewees participated in semi-structured Zoom interviews and were purposefully divided into early-career (≤3 years) and veteran (≥10 years) subgroups. The 40-minute interviews focused on the three aspects of job satisfaction outlined in the purpose statement.Thematic analysis was used to compare the results between early-career and veteran teachers, aiming to identify, organize, describe, and report recurring patterns that influence satisfaction in APE contexts.
This study examines the reasons why visually impaired Turkish athletes start sports, their motivation to continue and the effects of sports on their lives. Thirteen national athletes in goalball and judo participated in the phenomenological study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the Atlas.ti program. The reasons for starting sports were determined as guidance, curiosity and discovery; the motivations for continuing were determined as success, support, fun, career and socialization. The effects of sport include self-confidence, socialization, physical and academic benefits, financial gain and self-discovery. It is emphasized that sport increases social participation.
Adapted physical education (APE) specialists, as with others in the education ranks, become connected to the students on our caseloads, our sports teams, and in our classrooms. The tragic event of a student’s passing can be difficult to navigate for the educator and those who knew the student. The purpose of this article is to share our collective lived experiences as described through the vignettes of two of our students’ passings. Our experiences, advice, and resources are provided to assist others in facilitating their own path through the experience of the loss of a student.
