The Fall season is here and school has started again! We are planning our physical education programs for the year, and there is always new information to learn and share.

First, I would like to remind readers that some excellent web courses exist in adapted physical activity. The APENS (Adapted PE National Standards) web course will help students prepare to take and pass their APENS exam, and be nationally certified CAPEs (Certified Adapted Physical Educators). The passing rate for the APENS test is 100% for graduates of this course! More information is available.

ALSO, we'd like to remind our readers that the University of Florida offers TWO on-line courses (for anyone interested) on the 1) Medical/Health Aspects of Individuals with Disabilities and on 2) Adapted Physical Activity. Both of these courses are offered at either the graduate and undergraduate levels. They are great preparatory courses for Dr. Pedersen's APENS course! Further information is is available.

Furthermore, we'd like to let the readers know about an outstanding organization dedicated to education, and especially advocacy for our field. It is the National Consortium on Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID). Visit their website for more information.

In addition, we'd like to remind our readers to check out both the Palaestra and the PE Central web sites for further information on the adapted physical education/activity field. A subscription to Palaestra, and frequent visits to the adapted page of PE Central, will offer parents and professionals a world of ideas and services. Indeed, we at pelinks4u are doing just that - LINKING YOU to your world!

Now, for your program planning this year, in this issue we'd like to offer some helpful, updated information on some of the commonly seen conditions we see in school-aged children, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy. For cerebral palsy, we have two papers, one titled "Adapted Physical Activity for Students with Cerebral Palsy," by Reed Ziegler, and another titled: "Adapted Equipment for Cerebral Palsy," by Judlande Guervil. Brittany Hacker's paper on "Exercise for Individuals with Spina Bifida" offers some nice updates for us on the topic. Likewise, I think you will find Margo Lewkow's paper entitled "Muscular Dystrophy and Exercise" enlightening and helpful.

In addition, we have some interesting papers on the two topics of amputations and adapted aquatics. Jennifer Benitez has contributed an insightful paper titled "Adapted PE for Individuals with Amputations." I found it to be most interesting.

The paper on adapted aquatics will be most helpful to our readers who are interested in getting their own programs started in their communities. This paper provides an overview of some of the benefits for such a program, and summarizes four individual "cases" and how the aquatics program has helped them. This paper is titled: Adapted Aquatics Progress Report: City of Gainesville, FL," and the authors are Joannalyn Delacruz, Fran Turchiano, Heather Quiroga, and Christine Stopka.

Finally, we'd like to offer an updated/revised version of the legal paper we presented in our April issue; the author, Frank Oquendo, has kindly updated this for us since this topic is always changing, and hopefully, advancing! His updated paper is titled: Tracing the Path to Inclusive Education: An Update to Gain a Prospective of Legal Precedent."

We wish you a most successful, fulfilling, and rewarding year. Please know, it's readers like you who make all the difference in the world. And, with that said, I will leave you with this quote by Margaret Mead: "Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world." Indeed, YOU are the only ones who ever have!"

Have a great year! And thanks for all YOU do!

Christine Stopka
Adapted PE Editor

Adaptive Physical Activity for Students with Cerebral Palsy - By: Reed Ziegler

James is a blue-eyed giant, at least as far as the third graders are concerned right now. When he first walked into the classroom he was rather awkward with his feet pointed inward, his arms just dangling by his side, wrists slightly bent and his head jerking back and forth once in a while. Several children asked him right away, "why was it that he looked that way?" "Cerebral Palsy," he answered. That answer seemed to take care of the concerns for the day.

However, there were more concerns and questions raised as the days progressed! "What is Cerebral Palsy?" the children would ask. "Will it go away sometime or can he be cured?" "Shouldn't he have to go to a different school?" "How can we help?" All of these inquisitive questions led to some research and adaptations made to help James out. This fictitious scenario is played out in reality year after year in our school systems.

Cerebral palsy was first identified by an English surgeon named William Little in 1860. Since 1860 CP has effected anywhere from one to four children out of 1000 births each year. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is often defined in two ways. First, "Cerebral Palsy is a chronic condition affecting the nerves which control the body's muscles. It is often accompanied by multiple medical, social and educational challenges;" and a second often used definition is, "Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious diseases that cause physical disability in human development."

Cerebral palsy can be broken down into its two corresponding words Cerebral and Palsy. "Cerebral refers to the affected area of the brain, the cerebrum, and palsy refers to disorder of movement."

Read the rest.

Adapted Equipment for Cerebral Palsy
By: Judlande Guervil

Everyone (whether they realize it or not) is affected by disability. Although the person themselves may not have a disability, they may have a friend or family member with a disability. Disabilities rage from learning disabilities, physical impairments, mental illness, and sensory impairments. As individuals age the odds increase that disability will enter their lives. The Wikipedia defines disability as a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or their group.

Finding out that a child has cerebral palsy may cause a produce a lot of concerns for parents. Many parents think that because of this disability their child's opportunities for fun and recreation will be forever limited. It is a horrible thing to allow a child with cerebral palsy to be cooped up in a hospital room while his or her friends are playing outdoors. Thanks to many different therapeutic options, children with CP can enjoy the same kind of thrills and adventures that any normal child would enjoy.

Read the rest.

Exercise for Individuals with Spina Bifida
By: Brittany Hacker

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect in the United States, which is characterized by an incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, or the meninges. Spina bifida has four different types that affect individuals; however, all types benefit from regular exercise to reduce pain and increase comfort.

The severity of spina bifida an individual experiences is based on the size and location of the malformation, which needs to be taken into consideration when planning and implementing exercises. Individuals with spina bifida experience many reactions to the amount of nerves that are affected and irritated on a daily basis. All of these effects of spina bifida determine what kind of assistance the individual will need, whether it is braces, crutches or a wheelchair. Special exercises for the legs and feet must be done soon after birth to prepare the child for whatever assistive needs he or she will need.

Individuals with spina bifida need to develop upper body strength, endurance and flexibility. It is also important for them to develop balance and coordination that will assist in developing fundamental motor and recreational skills appropriate to their age and lesion level. It is essential that body awareness, positive self-image, and a sense of belonging be incorporated into the lives and activities of individuals with spina bifida's to increase their physical and mental health.

Read the rest.

Muscular Dystrophy and Exercise
By: Margo Lewkow

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that gradually weakens the body's muscles. It is caused by incorrect or missing genetic information that prevents the body from making the proteins that it needs to build and maintain healthy muscles. A child who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy loses the ability to do things like walk, sit upright, breathe easily, and move the arms and hands. This increasing weakness can lead to other health problems.

Duchenne MD is the most common form of MD and primarily affects boys. Onset is between 3 and 5 years old and the disorder progresses rapidly. Most boys are unable to walk by age 12, and later need a respirator to breathe. Girls in these families have a 50 percent chance of inheriting and passing the defective gene to their children. DMD is passed from mother to son through one of the mothers genes which is X-linked recessive. The defective gene that causes DMD is located on the X chromosome, meaning females are carriers of the disease, and if their son receives that chromosome he will inherit the disease. In some cases DMD arises from a new mutation in a gene rather than from an inherited defective gene.

Along with weakening muscles, another symptom of DMD is an enlargement or overdevelopment of the calves, known as pseudohypertrophy. Most people who exercise experience muscle hypertrophy, or muscle enlargement. People with DMD experience this, but instead of getting stronger DMD causes muscles to become permanently damaged. This happens because protein in the muscles is being replaced by fatty deposits.

Other problems that may arise from DMD are lordosis, or curvature of the lumbar and cervical spine caused by weakening back muscles. Weak foot muscles cause the Achilles tendon to contract and pull the feet into an abnormal position which interferes with the ability to walk. Also a purple discoloration of the feet may occur. This happens as muscle function of the feet and legs decreases. Active muscles require blood flow, accordingly, the cardiovascular systems directs blood flow to the organs where it is needed most.

Joint and tendon restriction, called 'contracture' may occur. It typically affects the ankles first, then the knees and hips, and finally the joints of the upper limbs. Due to protein abnormalities in the brain that cause cognitive and behavioral deficits, intellectual handicaps are more frequent in people with DMD than in the general population, but still only affect a small percentage. Respiratory muscle function may begin to decline. As DMD progresses the diaphragm becomes weak and breathing becomes difficult.

Read the rest.

Adapted PE for Individuals with Amputations - Jennifer Benitez

Many people believe that individuals with physical disabilities cannot participate in everyday sports and recreational activities. Some individuals with physical disabilities may also believe that they cannot participate in sports, because they are discouraged from doing so, or because they are in emotional distress and have not come to accept the fact that they must live with a physical disability. Despite the beliefs many people have, that individuals with disabilities cannot participate in sports, many athletes all over the world have persevered and achieved great things in the sports world without interference from their physical disabilities.

In 2005 Sarah Reinertsen completed the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. The Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. Sarah Reinertsen completed the race in a little over 15 hours, and she did it with the absence of her left leg. Sarah has an above-knee amputation, but this has not hindered her success in life in anyway. Sarah was the first female amputee to appear on the cover of Runner's World magazine in 2004, and she holds several world records for above-knee amputees.

Palmiero-Winters is a 34 year old woman with two children, and has a below-the-knee amputation on her left leg. Palmiero-Winters was in a motorcycle accident and had to have her lower leg amputated. A friend was concerned about how she would cope emotionally, and to this Palmiero-Winters assured him 'Alan, compared with the problems some people have, this is like a hangnail.' With the use of a prosthetic leg Palmiero-Winters was able to continue her passion of long distance running. With hard work, dedication, and a desire to reach her full potential as an athlete, Palmiero-Winters broke the marathon record for a female below-the-knee amputee in Cleveland in 2006.

Read the rest.

ADAPTED AQUATICS PROGRESS REPORT: City of Gainesville, Florida - By: Joannalynn Delacruz, Fran Turchiano, Heather Quiroga, & Christine Stopka, University of Florida

Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability to correctly process information brought from senses to the brain. Sensory processing deficits affect each person uniquely, because there are various forms that affect different senses and related conditions, ranging from mild to severe degrees of deficit. Sensory Integration Dysfunction is found in individuals with autistic traits, cerebral palsy, or attention disorders. Individuals may be hyposensitive or hypersensitive to stimuli.

Water is a versatile medium that can accommodate to the dichotomy of special needs that are presented from Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Water serves as an intense environment for a hyposensitive individual who seeks extra stimuli. It can also be a subtle, harmless, and soothing environment for a hypersensitive individuals to comfortably explore swimming skills in.

Adapted aquatic swimming is an activity that exposes individuals with special needs to a versatile sensory playground. Every summer, there are people who request to re-enroll into the City of Gainesville Adapted Aquatics Program, which consists of swimming lessons three times a week. One session consists of two weeks, and four sessions are available each summer.

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Tracing the Path to Inclusive Education: An Update to Gain A Prospective Of Legal Precedent - Frank Oquendo, M.Ed., M.S.

Introduction

The purpose of this article is an attempt to follow the complex evolution of inclusion law leading us to "the state of inclusion" where we find ourselves today. In 1975, dissatisfied with progress being made under earlier enactments, the U. S. Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Previous to the passage of this Act, the Supreme Court noted that many disabled children suffer under one of two equally ineffective approaches to their educational needs: either they were excluded from public education, or they were deposited in regular education classrooms with no assistance. The judiciary has since played a major role in shaping the course of inclusion law. In some cases the courts reversed previous decisions creating serious questions as to what direction will be taken in the future.

It may be important to first discuss the history of The Education for Handicapped Law Report, (EHLR). The EHLR was first published in 1979. Twelve years later, LRP Publications, changed the name of this biweekly report to reflect the growing sensitivity within the special education community toward the use of person-first language. Consequently, with the first issue of Volume 18 in October 1991, the EHLR officially became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Law Report, (IDELR).

IDELR is an up-to-date, loose-leaf reporting service designed to meet the needs of the special education community, including attorneys, advocates, administrators, teachers and service providers, by compiling and up dating relevant federal statutes and regulations, and combining these with cases, rulings and interpretations. IDELR includes complete text of Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 implementing regulations, Americans with Disability Act, (ADA), Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), U.S. Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) with regular up dates to these statues and regulations (LPR Publications, 2001).

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