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A Fitness Assessment System for Individuals with Severe Mental Retardation
Abstract
Ohio State University's Project Transition is a research effort that involves fitness training to facilitate the transition from an institutional environment to a community living environment for mentally retarded persons. Features of the system are contrasted with those of the 3 related published assessment systems in physical education. It is noted that a significant characteristic of the Project Transition assessment system is its score sheet, which yields specific information related to percentage of task completion, level of prompting required for subtasks, whole skill performance, task-analyzed step descriptions, and reinforcement strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
An adapted grading system for students with disabilities in general physical education allows utilization of existing assessment tools such as rubrics and checklists and provides methods of individualization and modification based on the student's needs. Adapted grading methods include weighting components of class grades and unit assessments, calculating a level of difficulty score, and establishing supplementary grades including a level of attainment and level of independence grade. All methods discussed provide the general and/or adapted physical educator with strategies for generating valid numerical grades for their students with disabilities. Nontraditional grade reporting methods are also discussed.
Powerlifting is a popular leisure activity and an international sport for elite lifters from all backgrounds. this includes athletes with intellectual disabilities (id) who participate in segregated regional, state, national, and international special olympics powerlifting events. furthermore, integrated formats supported by various state powerlifting organizations are also open to trained powerlifters with id. to assist coaches training lifters with unique needs, this article provides evidence-based practices from adapted physical education. The recommended training includes combining task analysis, prompting, and partial participation with a specific focus on safe and successful meet preparation for lifters with id. for a video abstract of this article, supplemental digital content 1 (see video, http://links.lww.com/scj/a219) can be referred.
As more severely handicapped persons are being given the opportunity to take part in physical education and community leisure programs in the USA, the need increases for the providers to be able to assess physical fitness status and to assist in appropriate adapted program development. However, the collection of valid assessment data for this population is difficult due to many unique problems.
Adapted physical activity has debated its professional and disciplinary status, but agreement has not been achieved. As a means of objectively evaluating the field for evidence of discipline status, the contents of APAQ (all issues between 1984-2000) and Clinical Kinesiology (1991-2000) were reviewed and compared against four criteria of a discipline: unique knowledge base, methodology, theoretical framework, and terminology. The review indicated that adapted physical activity has a distinct knowledge base but borrows considerable terminology, research methodology, and theory from allied fields. This is likely a reflection of our history, which has been tied to medicine, kinesiology, physical and special education, and some therapies. We conclude that adapted physical activity is a professional field of study with a crossdisciplinary knowledge base, rather than a discipline in its own right.
Given the importance of adaptive behavior (AB) to independent functioning for persons with intellectual disabilities, a significant question for practitioners and scholars in physical activity is the effect of physical activity on AB. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to simultaneously test potential effects of health-related fitness (HRF) and motor ability (MA) components on AB. The participants were 64 community dwelling Finnish adults (27 males, 37 females; X̄age=36.5 years) with a moderate intellectual disability. HRF test items were adopted primarily from the Project Transition, while the MA components were assessed utilizing the measures of stork stand, heel-to-toe walking, and the Purdue Pegboard test. AB was assessed using a written questionnaire completed by caregivers. A structural equation modeling analysis revealed that the hypothesized model did not fit the sample data adequately. However, the analysis showed that MA was a stronger predictor of AB (γma ab=-0.74) than HRF (γhrf ab=0.07).
Over the past decade greater attention has been focused on the role of exercise and fitness for persons with disabilities. Increased involvement in exercise programmes, competitive sports and fitness activities has led to further inquiry into the broader concepts of performance, prevention of further deterioration of a given disability, maintenance for activities of daily living, and overall well-being. This paper reviews the literature on 3 categories of disabilities, mental retardation, mental illness and selected physical disabilities, in order to determine the role of exercise and fitness programmes in each. Despite problems in research design, sampling procedures, instrument validity, and delineation of fitness components, there is growing support for the premise that physical exercise has a role to play in breaking the debilitative cycle. Although the research indicates that physical activity can serve as a potential non-pharmacological adjunct therapy for persons with physical disabilities, there is still a need for well-controlled studies to quantify the individualization of exercise programming.
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