Physical Education and Sports for CWSN (PDF)

4 Physical Education and Sports for CWSN UNIT (Children with Special Needs–Divyang) 4.1 CONCEPT OF DISABILITY AND DISORDER Concept of D...

4 Physical Education and Sports for CWSN UNIT (Children with Special Needs–Divyang) 4.1 CONCEPT OF DISABILITY AND DISORDER Concept of Disability Disability is an integral part of human life. Almost everyone of us has faced some kind of temporary or permanent impairment at some point in life that may have led us to experience difficulties in functioning. In other words, in addition to needs in common with other children, some children may have needs that are special needs. A disability is any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them. There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s: Vision, Movement, Thinking, Remembering, Learning, Communicating, Hearing, Mental health, Social relationships. Disability may be Ø congenital, or present from birth, Ø occurring during a person’s life time, Ø invisible disability (not noticeable easily) and Ø temporary disability (recovery is possible). Ø These conditions, or impairments, may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors. CWSN or Children With Special Needs are children who have some difficulties which may in some way impede their ability to function adequately in the family, community or school. Because of these difficulties they find it challenging to attain their full potential. 3rd December is celebrated as World Disability Day. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities. The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. To give the effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities an act names the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (RPWD Act 2016) was passed by Indian Parliament on 27th December 2016. Meaning of Disability According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, (2016) “Person with disability refers to a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction 68 Physical Education – XI with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.” According to World Health Organization – “Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.” The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) lists 9 broad domains of functioning which can be affected: l Learning and applying knowledge l General tasks and demands l Communication l Basic physical mobility, Domestic life, and Self-care (for example, activities of daily living) l Interpersonal interactions and relationships l Community, social and civic life, including employment l Other major life areas Meaning and Concept of Disorder A disorder could be defined as a set of problems, which result in causing significant difficulty, distress, impairment and/or suffering in a person’s daily life. A disorder is a mental or physical illness which prevents parts of the body from working properly. According to Medical Dictionary, “Disorder is a disturbance of function, structure or both, resulting from a genetic or embryonic failure in development or from exogenous factors such as poison, trauma or disease.” Disorder can be defined as a blip in the usual functioning of a person. Essentially, disorder is an ailment that disturbs the health of a person. Disorders hinders a person’s performance and diminish his/her efficiency. Apart from mental disorder there are also its other kinds, such as an eating disorder, substance abuse, addiction disorder, attention disorder. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a disorder as an illness that disrupts normal physical or mental function. Looking at disorders in a little more detail, we can say they are physical or mental conditions that disturb the regular or normal functioning and everyday activities of an individual. They can take up a lot of time and complicate the normal functioning of an individual. Due to the nature of disorders being flexible, they may not always be evident in every single situation. Equally what may affect one individual may not be as troublesome to another individual in the same situation. Therefore, a disorder is a very flexible and individual term. What is the Right Term? It is a matter of confusion for many as to what is the right term – Disability/Disorder/ Children with Special Needs/Divyangjan. As per the Disability Act, “Person with Disability” or Divyangjan are the acceptable terms. Disorders are used frequently in medical terminology whereas Children with Special Needs (CWSN) is more frequent in educational set up. How are the terms Disability and Disorder associated with each other: Generally, the terms disability, disorder, impairment, handicap etc. are used as synonyms or sometime interchangeably. But, it is very important to understand the thin line among the concept of these terms. Disability can be characterized as an injury that restricts the person to make movement in a normal manner. It can be physical, mental, sensory or intellectual disability, etc. Physical Education – XI 69 On the other hand, disorder is the consequence of an illness which may cause mental disability. It is more specifically related to the mental or sensory domain of a person. It is concerned with the mental neurological and psychological health of a person. Hence, disability restricts the physical movement or activity of person where as disorder cause disruption of normal functions of a person. To understand more precisely disability is related to the physical or anatomical domain of a person whereas disorder is associated with the mental neurological domain of a person. 4.2. TYPES OF DISABILITY, ITS CAUSES AND NATURE (INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, PHYSICAL DISABILITY) Types of Disabilities Prior to 1995, we were familiar with only four types of disabilities; Orthopaedic Handicap, Visual Handicap, Hearing Handicap and Mental Handicap. In 1995, Persons with Disability Act came into force and term handicap was replaced with terms disability and impairment. This act recognized three more disabilities; Low Vision, Leprosy Cured and Mental Illness. In the year 2016, a new Act was enforced –Right of Persons with Disability Act (RPwD Act). This act recognizes 21 disabilities. 1. Intellectual Disability : The term intellectual or learning disability generally refers to a reduced capacity of a person to learn tasks or process information. An individual with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. (i) Intellectual functioning, which refers to a person’s ability to learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems. (ii) Adaptive behaviours, or skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care of oneself. (a) Intellectual disability, a condition characterised by significant limitation both in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behaviour which covers a range of every day, social and practical skills. (b) Specific learning disabilities means a heterogeneous group of conditions wherein there is a deficit in processing language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself as a difficulty to comprehend, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations and includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and developmental aphasia. (c) Autism spectrum disorder means a neuro-developmental condition typically appearing in the first three years of life that significantly affects a person’s ability to communicate, understand relationships and relate to others, and is frequently associated with unusual or stereotypical rituals or behaviours. 2. Physical Disability : A physical disability is the long-term loss or impairment of part of an individual’s body function, resulting in a limitation of physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. Due to the functional loss the individual experiences the inability to perform normal movements of the body, such as walking and mobility, sitting and standing, use of hands and arms, muscle control, etc. These disabilities include: (i) Locomotor disability : Disability of the bones, joint or muscles leading to substantial restriction of the movement of the limbs or a usual form of cerebral palsy. Some common conditions giving raise to locomotor disability could be poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, 70 Physical Education – XI  amputation, injuries of spine or head, soft tissues fractures, muscular dystrophies etc. (ii) Spinal cord injury (SCI) : The spinal cord can become injured if too much pressure is applied and/or if the blood and oxygen supply to the spinal cord is cut. When the spinal cord has been damaged, it leads to a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. For some people, a spinal cord injury results in paraplegia (loss of function below the chest), for others it leads to quadriplegia (loss of function below the neck). As well as affecting the ability to move through paralysis, it may affect many areas of a person’s body – such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, bladder and bowel function, temperature, and sensory abilities. (iii) Cerebral palsy : Cerebral palsy is typically due to an injury to the developing brain before or during birth, caused by a reduced blood supply and lack of oxygen to the brain. Illnesses during pregnancy such as rubella (the German measles), accidental injury to the brain, meningitis in young children, and premature birth can all be causes. People with Cerebral palsy may experience weakness, difficulty walking, lack of muscle control, problems with coordination, involuntary movements, and other symptoms. (iv) Muscular Dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that results in increasing weakening and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ depending upon the muscles that are primarily affected, the degree of weakness, how fast they worsen, and when symptoms begin. Many people eventually become unable to walk. Some types are also associated with problems in other organs. Muscular Dystrophy may even be fatal. Muscular dystrophy is caused by mutations on the X chromosome. Each version of muscular dystrophy is due to a different set of mutations, but all prevent the body from producing dystrophin. Dystrophin is a protein essential for building and repairing muscles. At present, there is no way to prevent or reverse muscular dystrophy, but different kinds of therapy and drug treatment can improve a person’s quality of life and delay the progression of symptoms. (v) Dwarfism is short stature which can be caused by genetic or medical conditions. It is generally defined as an adult height of 4 feet 10 inches or less, with the average height of someone with dwarfism being 4 feet. (vi) Visual & Hearing impairment : It includes people with blindness, low vision and limitation in the field of vision. Hearing disabilities includes people that are completely or partially deaf. People who are partially deaf can often use hearing aids to assist their hearing. Deafness can be evident at birth or occur later in life from several biologic causes, for example Meningitis can damage the auditory nerve. 3. Learning Disability This type of disability is related to the neurological domain i.e. brain and nervous system which inhibits the learning and thought process of an individual. Cognitive disability is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. This limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowely than a typical child. Children with cognitive disabilities may take longer to learn to speak, walk and take care of their personal needs such as fressing or eating. Physical Education – XI 71  Cognitive disability ranges from mild to severe. A person with a mild cognitive disability people may be able to do her/his everyday activities. Severe levels of disability can lead to her/his losing the ability to understand the meaning or importance of something and the ability to talk or write, resulting in the inability to live independently. Some of the main categories of functional cognitive disabilities include the following deficits or difficulties. 1. Memory : Memory refers to the ability of a user to recall what they have learned over time. A common model for explaining memory involves the concepts of working (i.e., immediate) memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Some individuals with cognitive disabilities have difficulties with one, two, or all three of these memory types. 2. Problem Solving : Some individuals with cognitive disabilities have a difficult time solving problems as they arise. In many instances, their resilience can be low, and the resulting frustration is such that they choose to give up and not persist to solve the problem. 3. Attention : There are many individuals that have difficulty with focusing their attention to the task at hand. Distractions such as any specific sound, colour, design frequently shift the attention. On a positive note, some people with attention deficits are highly creative and very productive in short bursts, with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm. On a less positive note, it can be difficult for people with ADHD to stick to a task for a long period of time. 4. Reading, Linguistic, Verbal and Writing Comprehension : Difficulties related to reading, speaking, understanding and writing are another challenge. Reading disorder, also known as Dyslexia, is characterized by trouble with reading despite normal intelligence. These difficulties may be mild or severe. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, writing words, “sounding out” words in the head, pronouncing words when reading aloud and understanding what one reads. Difficulty in Writing, also known as Dysgraphia, is a learning disability that affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills. Problems may include illegible handwriting, inconsistent spacing, poor spatial planning on paper, poor spelling, and difficulty composing writing as well as thinking and writing at the same time. Causes of Disabilities and Disorder Causes of disabilities can be broadly classified into three categories; pre-natal causes, perinatal causes and post-natal causes. l Pre-natal causes involve events, accidents, illness, infection to mother during pregnancy that affect the baby. Conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes of the mother during pregnancy can cause disability in the child. l Perinatal causes are the conditions occurring during the delivery of the child that affect the new-born. Delayed labour pain, low birth weight or neonatal infections may cause a disability. l Post-natal causes include post birth conditions like, illness, infection, poor environment, accidents, psychological factors etc. The causes may be further sub-divided as 1. Biological Causes – Some disabilities are due to the disorder of genes, infectious disease disturbance in glands functioning, illness. Down syndrome, Muscular dystrophy, polio, Developmental disorder are example of various biological issues. 2. Mental health problems – Mental health problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, etc., may lead to disability. As a matter of fact, the causes of mental health problems are 72 Physical Education – XI  very difficult to diagnose. They tend to be some of the most misunderstood disabilities. 3. Malnutrition: Malnutrition is another significant cause of disability, especially our country. If a child does not get appropriate nutrition, he may be physically weak Even deficiency of calcium leads to malformation of bones. Deficiency of iodine may diminish the growth of body. Similarly, deficiency of vitamin ‘A’ may cause blindness, in children. Deficiency of vitamin B12 may lead to loss of memory and cause paralysis. 4. Lifestyle – The mother’s lifestyle during pregnancy has a vital effect on the child’s growth and development. If a mother smokes during pregnancy, it has an adverse effect on foetal growth and development. Intake of alcohol and indulgence in substance abuse during pregnancy are the most common causes of developmental disabilities, including cognitive disability, learning disabilities, ADHD and behavioural challenges. Once the child is diagnosed with a learning disorder, she/he must be kept meaningfully occupied. The child’s eating, sleeping, and exercise habits are very important. In addition to healthy physical habits, children may be frustrated by the challenges presented by their learning disability and, so, should be encouraged to have healthy emotional habits too. 5. Accidents and War – One can be the victim of an accident at the workplace, road accident, chemical accident, nuclear accident, or get exposed to radiation etc. This may lead to disability. Dangerous working environment and poor safety precautions are the conditions where one may get disabilities in the long run. Exposure to biological warfare, nuclear radiation, and suffering physical or psychological trauma of a bomb explosion are other reasons of wartime disabilities. 6. Poor Approach to Healthcare – Many disabilities can be prevented easily, if it is proper access or approach to health care facilities. Sometimes, good health care facilities are not available during difficult labour and birth. It may cause a baby. To be born with a disability such as cerebral palsy. Professionally trained persons could handle such emergencies. They can prevent babies from being born with such disabilities. Proper immunisation can also help in preventing many disabilities. Usually people who live in remote areas, do not have proper access to health can facilities, and thus, sometimes babies suffer disabilities. 7. Lack of Education and Awareness – Lack of awareness about certain precautions during or post pregnancy may lead to disability. Awareness about nutrition and exercise helps to prevent disabilities or disorders. Due to lack of awareness people start believing in many kind of superstitions and get misguided. 8. Exposure to Chemicals – Pesticides and insecticides and other harmful chemicals if mixed in edible items and may give rise to disabilities in people and birth defects in babies. These substances may cause disorder in the functioning of the human body system and may lead to disabilities. 9. Infectious Diseases: Infectious diseases may also cause disabilities. If the immunity power of a child is low, he is susceptible to fall sick or contact more serious illnesses. If a child is not immunised well, he becomes vulnerable to infectious diseases like mumps, which can cause hearing impairment or polio, which can cripple the child. 4.3 DISABILITY ETIQUETTES Disability Etiquette is a set of guidelines dealing specifically with how to approach a person with a disability. Disability etiquette refers to communicating and interacting respectfully and courteously with people who have disabilities. Some of the basic etiquettes while dealing with People with Disabilities : Positive and Energetic Attitude – One should approach a person with special needs with Physical Education – XI 73 positive energy and attitude. Approach should be warm and friendly. One should not show sympathy for, or, even in certain cases, fear of the person. Communication – Communication should be two way – speaking to the person directly, and not to the person accompanying her/him. Establish a rapport with her/him. If necessary, use a communication aid such as a communication book or communication device, if required. Keep your tone low. Communicate with the individual slowly and clearly. While writing, or talking to or about a person with a disability, use “people first” language. Refer to her/him as a person with disability and not as “the disabled” or “the handicapped.” Do not use negative, demeaning, and outdated terms such as “cripple,” “deaf and dumb,” or “retarded.” Be aware that many people with disabilities do not wish to be referred to euphemistically. So, avoid using terms such as “physically challenged,” or “differently abled.” Avoid referring to an individual with a disability as someone who is “suffering from Cerebral Palsy or Parkinson’s.” Social Etiquette – Make surroundings disabled-friendly and comfortable for people with special needs. Do not make assumptions about what they can or cannot do. The impact of a specific disability can vary widely from person to person, so help only if it appears to be needed. Just because someone has a disability, don’t assume she needs help. If the setting is accessible, people with disabilities can usually get around fine. Adults with disabilities want to be treated as independent people. Offer assistance only if the person appears to need it. A person with a disability will oftentimes communicate when she needs help. And if she does want help, ask how before you act. Acknowledge and respect the individual’s ability to make decisions and judgments on their own behalf. Never physically or verbally bully them.Never play with their equipment. Ask them before offering any help. Only ask question about their disability if you know the person. Develop a culture of inclusion in surroundings. Physical Etiquette – The height difference between a person in a wheelchair and an ablebodied person can create an unspoken feeling of superiority and inferiority. To be safe, sit or stand at eye- level with the person who has a disability when it is appropriate and possible. Make eye contact; never avoid someone with a disability. Some people with disabilities depend on their arms for balance. Grabbing them, even if your intention is to assist, could knock them off balance. Avoid patting a person on the head or touching his wheelchair, or cane. Conclusion Hence, it can be concluded here that people with special abilities have their own way of life as an individual. It is not suggested to define them on the basis of their restrictive abilities. So, it is our responsibility to provide them conducive and free environment as a society. 4.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION Meaning of Adaptive Physical Education Children with various types of disabilities, such as mental retardation, deafness or other hearing impairment, speech or language impairment, blindness, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, poor body mechanics and health impairment etc. have the right to develop their abilities in a democratic society through the process of education. But usually it is seen that they have very limited opportunities. So, it becomes the significant duty of all schools to provide them such opportunities in which they may develop their abilities. For the above-mentioned impairments, special education or related services are required. Such 74 Physical Education – XI children are unable to perform the same activities as those of normal children. So, in addition to the regular programme of physical education designed for normal children, the schools must provide special physical education programmes for such children who are unable to receive maximum benefits from regular physical education programmes. Adapted Physical Education is a subdiscipline of physical education. It is an individualised programme developed for students, who require a specially designed programme of physical education. The programme of adapted physical education involves physical fitness, motor fitness, fundamental motor skills and patterns, aquatic skills, dance skills, individual and group games and sports. It can be defined as “a diversified programme of developmental activities, games, sports and rhythms, suited to the interests, capacities and limitations of students with disabilities, who may not safely or successfully engage in unrestricted participation in the general physical education programme.” Adapted physical education provides safe, personally satisfying and successful experiences related to physical activity for the children who are disabled. In fact, it is a direct service, not a related service. It can be applied for infants and even toddlers who need early intervention services because of developmental delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social and emotional aspects. Adapted physical education is not only for disabled infants and students but also for the people of all ages. According to Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS) “Adapted Physical Education is Physical Education which has been adapted or modified, so that it is as appropriate for the person with a disability as it is for a person without a disability.” In other words Adapted physical education is physical education that is adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities, both for safety and to address a student’s specific developmental needs. Importance of Adaptive Physical Education Adapted Physical Education can be provided to students with special needs and leads to the development of 1. Physical and motor skills : When encouraged to participate in frequent fitness measures, many students with special needs see improvements in everything from their hand-eye coordination and flexibility, to their muscle strength, endurance, and even cardiovascular efficiency. These are all simply the natural benefits of exercise — a development of better motor skills and enhanced physical health that helps individuals to fight back against problems such as obesity, and the health complications that follow. 2. Helps to Create Self Esteem and Self Confidence and Develops Social Bonding or Relationships: Participation in regular physical activities and organized sport helps the children with disability to become independent. It provides ample opportunities for preparing these children to face challenges against all odds confidentially and efficiently. 3. Skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports including intramural and life time sports. Aim of Adaptive Physical Education The aim of Adapted Physical Education is to aid students with handicaps to achieve physical, mental, emotional, and social growth commensurate with their potential through a carefully planned program of regular and special physical education and recreation activities. Physical Education – XI 75 Objectives of Adaptive Physical Education The following principles should be taken into consideration for effective implementation of Adapted Physical Education : 1. Provide Physical Education Services : The primary objective of adapted physical education is to provide the children with physical education services that meet their unique needs, The safety of the child is the main priority. 2. Development of Self Esteem : Development of self-esteem is also one of the objectives of adaptive physical education programme. Once the development of enhanced self esteem is achieved, the students are more eager to participate in more challenging activities which often results in improved motor development. 3. Development of Motor Skills : Another objective is the development of the student’s motor skills. It helps in developing the physical skills and abilities of the child that will enable them to become successful movers and active for rest of their lives. 4. Develop Knowledge of Body Mechanics : One of the main objectives of adaptive physical education is to develop knowledge of body mechanics amongst the students. Making the students able to differentiate between good and bad body mechanics is an essential component of adaptive physical education. 5. Active Participation in Sports : Adapted physical education programs strive to ensure that each student actively participates in physical education programs at his or her own level and that the student is integrated into the regular education program whenever possible. 6. Development of Physical Fitness: Adaptive physical education provides knowledge about modified exercises suitable for persons with disability and helps in developing physical fitness of these students. 7. Development of Socialisation Skills : Development of socialization skills is also the objective of adaptive physical education programmes. Listening and following directions, adequately participating in groups, staying vigilant in the work and the organization of work materials are certain behaviours which are known as “social skills related to learning”. Physical Education can not only help children develop psychomotor skills, but can provide psychological benefits through the development of personal and social responsibility, and correct social behaviour. 8. Promotion of Sportsmanship : Promotion of sportsmanship is also one of the objectives of physical education. Participation in physical activity has a role to play in personal development. It improves physiological and mental functioning and gives rise to feelings of physical, psychological and social competence. It is hugely enjoyable and can increase a person’s resistance to stress. Through physical exercise and sport people can learn values and habits such as perseverance, constancy and competitiveness, fair play and sportsmanship. 9. Motivate Students : Another important objective of adaptive physical education is to motivate the students, boost their morale and prevent them from any discrimination in the society. 76 Physical Education – XI  4.5 ROLE OF VARIOUS PROFESSIONALS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (COUNSELLOR, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, PHYSIOTHERAPIST, PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER, SPEECH THERAPIST AND SPECIAL EDUCATOR) 1. Special Education Counsellor Special education counselors work with special needs students in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, to ensure they have the support services they need in order to achieve their highest potential in the areas of academics, personal and social growth, and career development. This is accomplished by working with students with social, emotional, behavioral, and physical disabilities in a variety of settings, including one-on-one counseling, group counseling, in special education classrooms, as well as in regular education classrooms. Another essential duty of special education counselors is to work with special education and general education teachers and staff members to ensure that the needs of each special needs student are being met. Special education counselors do this by advocating on the child’s behalf, collaborating with teachers to develop more effective support services for the child, or working with teachers and staff members to develop a better understanding of the interventions in place to help the child succeed. Much collaboration and consultation is also undertaken with other special services workers, such as school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech- language pathologists, and the likes. Special education counselors also often work with families to improve their ability to meet their child’s needs at home. This might involve offering parents and guardians insight into effective strategies for improving their child’s functioning. It may also involve referring families to outside resources, such as child and family counselors, vocational training, or non-profit organizations that specialize in working with families of special needs children. 2. Occupational Therapist Occupational therapists (OTs) help children to improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disabling. They also help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Occupational therapists help others not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. Occupational therapists assist others in performing activities of all types, ranging from using a computer to caring for daily needs such as dressing, cooking, and eating. Physical exercises may be used to increase strength and dexterity, while other activities may be chosen to improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns. They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disabling. They also help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. For example, a child with short-term memory loss might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall, and a person with coordination problems might be assigned exercises to improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use computer programs to help children improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem solving, and perceptual skills, as well as memory, sequencing, and coordination —- all of which are important for independent living. 3. Physiotherapists Physiotherapists are trained to evaluate and improve movement and function of the body, with particular attention to physical mobility, balance, posture, fatigue, and pain. The physical Physical Education – XI 77 therapy programme typically involves educating the child about the physical problems caused by their disability, designing an individualized exercise programme to address the problems, and enhancing mobility and energy conservation through the use of a variety of mobility aids and adaptive equipment. Physiotherapists can help a variety of types of disorders including neurological, orthopedic and paediatric. Neurological : Physiotherapy can be used to help children who have a neurological condition that affects the nervous system, such as Multiple Sclerosis, stroke and Cerebral Palsy. Orthopaedic : Physiotherapy can be used to treat conditions or injuries that affect the bones joints and muscles, such as sports injuries and arthritis. It is often used to assist rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery. Paediatric : Physiotherapy can be used to treat children who have conditions which affect their muscles or skeleton. Some of these conditions such as Muscular Dystrophy may be present from birth. These and other conditions may require the child to have help to improve balance, strength and co-ordination. Physiotherapy may be recommended for conditions such as Dyspraxia and Cerebral Palsy. Physiotherapists usually take a holistic approach by looking at the child’s body as a whole rather than focusing on individual factors. Education is also an important part of physiotherapy because as well as aiming to improve a child’s strength and mobility, physiotherapy also teaches them how to manage their condition more effectively. 4. Physical Education Teacher Physical Education teachers are commonly referred to as P.E. teachers or gym teachers. P.E. teachers are skilled and educated in physical education and athletic training. Gym teachers are knowledgeable about the human body and a wide variety of sports including basketball, gymnastics, football, baseball, tennis, and aerobics. Physical education teachers are expected to provide safe and fun activities for children that promote muscle development and provide cardiovascular exercises, while at the same time teaching children important skills like teamwork and sportsmanship. These teachers often need to create games and activities based on the specific needs of each individual child, as they may work with various disabilities ranging from children with blindness or hearing problems to those with orthopedic impairment or traumatic brain injuries. Physical education is the perfect opportunity for team building exercises. Instead of competitive games, the class can focus on creative games that only succeed when a whole team works together. 5. Speech Therapist A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds. A language disorder refers to a problem with understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas. An evaluation by a certified speech-language pathologist can help find out if your child is having problems. Speech-language therapy is the treatment for most kids with speech and/or language disorders. Speech therapists might use repetitive exercises and training as well as assistive devices for communication to assist with what is speech therapy. Called augmentative and assistive communication, or AAC, these devices produce speech or sound for those who are nonverbal. Speech therapy targets a great deal of speech and language disorders, including the following: l Articulation Disorders : difficulty producing sounds or syllables or saying words incorrectly. l Receptive or Expressive Communication Disorders : difficulties understanding and processing language, or difficulty putting words together to form sentences, or trouble expressing or communicating in a socially acceptable way. l Fluency Disorders : including problems like stuttering, which is characterized by abnormal stoppages, repetitions, or prolonging sounds in words. l Feeding Disorders : difficulties with eating and swallowing. 78 Physical Education – XI  Speech therapists might use play or books to stimulate communication and increase chances to develop language skills. Therapists will model correct pronunciation, articulation, and expression during play activities and might actually physically show a child how to move their mouths or tongue to create what is speech properly. 6. Special Educator Special educator deals with children with intellectual disabilities. The children may face problems in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, mathematics reasoning, or spelling etc. These children have many problems like poor memory, low tolerance level, high frustration level, easily distract-able, easily confused etc. The special educator plays an important role which is explained below: (a) Provides oral instructions for students with reading disabilities. (b) Regular evaluation of children with special needs and let them know how well they are progressing towards an individual or class goal. (c) Gives instant feedback to learning children with special needs. They need to see quickly the relationship between what was taught and what was learned. (d) To make activities brief and short as long activities are particularly frustrating for learning children with special needs. (e) The instructions should be repeated if required by the children with special needs. Both written and verbal formats of instructions should be provided. (f) Encourage cooperative learning activities as students of varying abilities like to work together on a specific project or towards a common goal. (g) Setting of challenging but realistic expectations that allow students to strive for their best. (h) Working intimately with families to achieve the best educational outcome for students with special needs. (i) To ensure a safe environment for students. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Q. 1. Which of the following is not a Physical Disability? (a) Injury to spinal cord (b) Injury to neck (c) Loss of limb (d) Autism spectrum disorder Q. 2. How many disabilities were recognized by Right of Persons with Disability Act (RPwD Act)? (a) 20 (b) 21 (c) 22 (d) 23 Q. 3. A short stature which can be caused by genetic or medical conditions is called (a) Dwarfism (b) Muscular Dystrophy (c) Locomotor disability (d) Cerebral palsy Q. 4. Deficiency of which of the following may lead to loss of memory and cause paralysis? (a) Iron (b) Vitamin B12 (c) Calcium (d) Vitamin D Q. 5. The most important area catered to by Adapted Physical Education is (a) Emotional health (b) Mental health (c) Physical health (d) Social health Physical Education – XI 79  Q. 6. It is their duty to work with special education and general education teachers and staff members to ensure that the needs of each special needs student is met. (a) Special education counsellor (b) Occupational therapist (c) Physiotherapist (d) Speech therapist Q. 7. They are trained to evaluate and improve movement and function of the body with particular attention to physical mobility, balance etc. (a) Physical education teacher (b) Speech therapist (c) Occupational therapist (d) Physiotherapist Q. 8. Which of the following is a speech and language disorder? (a) Articulation disorder (b) Fluency disorder (c) Feeding disorder (d) All of the above Q. 9. This professional helps children to improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environment. (a) Occupational therapist (b) Special education counsellor (c) Speech therapist (d) None of the above Q. 10. Which medical professional helps children with a number of oral disorders such as speech issues, cognitive-linguistic conditions and language? (a) Occupational therapist (b) Special education counsellor (c) Speech therapist (d) None of the above Q. 11. A disability present at the time of birth is known as (a) congenital disability (b) invisible disability (c) locomotive disability (d) None of the above Q. 12. World Disability Day is celebrated on (a) 3 December (b) 3 November (c) 13 December (d) 13 November Q. 13. Disability may be (a) invisible (b) present from birth (c) temporary (d) All of the above Q. 14. Which of the following refers to the permanent reduction in physical and mental capacity of an individual? (a) Deficiency (b) Disability (c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above Q. 15. A blip in the usual functioning of a person is called ______________. (a) Intellectual disability (b) Learning disability (c) Disorder (d) Locomotive disability Q. 16. Which of the following is best suitable for the special education of differently abled children? (a) Corrective physical education (b) Inclusive physical education (c) Adaptive physical education (d) None of the above Q. 17. Which of the following is/are objectives of Adaptive physical education? (a) Promotion of sportsmanship (b) Active participation in sports (c) Development of self-esteem (d) All of the above 80 Physical Education – XI Q. 18. Match List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the code given below: List – I List – II (i) Occupational therapist 1. trained to provide assessment, treatment in overcoming movement and physical challenges such as problems of balance, coordination, sitting, standing and walking. (ii) Physiotherapist 2. specialists who work with CWSN students in elementary, middle and high schools. (iii) Speech therapist 3. trained to provide assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for children and young people who have a physical, coordination and processing problems. (iv) Special education counsellor 4. trained medical professional who can help children with oral disorders. Codes (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (a) 3 2 1 4 (b) 4 1 3 2 (c) 3 1 4 2 (d) 4 2 3 1 Q. 19. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A), and the other as Reason (R). (i) Assertion (A) : Children with various types of disabilities, such as mental retardation, deafness, blindness etc have the right to develop their abilities in a democratic society through the process of education. Reason (R) : Adapted Physical Education is a diversified programme of developmental activities, games, sports and rhythms, suited to the interests, capacities and limitations of students with disabilities, who may not safely or successfully engage in unrestricted participation in the general physical education programme.” (a) Both (A) and (R) are right but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (b) Both (A) and (R) are right and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (c) (A) is right but (R) is wrong. (d) (A) is wrong but (R) is right. (ii) Assertion (A) : Disability is the state of being unable to use a part of your body properly usually because of injury or disease. Reason (R) : Accidents, chronic illness, heredity and malnutrition are various causes for the disability. (a) Both (A) and (R) are right but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (b) Both (A) and (R) are right and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (c) (A) is right but (R) is wrong. (d) (A) is wrong but (R) is right. Physical Education – XI 81  ANSWER KEY 1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (d) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (c) 11. (a) 12. (a) 13. (d) 14. (b) 15. (c) 16. (c) 17. (d) 18. (c) 19. (i)(b), (ii) (b) VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS Q. 1. What is adaptive physical education? Q. 2. What do you mean by Disability? Q. 3. What do you mean by Physical Disability? Q. 4. Name the three categories of Causes of Disabilities. Q. 5. What is the aim of adaptive physical education? SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Q. 1. Briefly explain any two types of Physical Disabilities. Q. 2. Write a short note on Malnutrition and Lifestyle causes of Disability. Q. 3. Write any four objectives of adaptive physical education. Q. 4. What do you know about the physiotherapist? Write briefly. Q. 5. Write down a brief note on some of the basic etiquettes while dealing with people with disabilities. Q. 6. Differentiate between disability and disorder. Q. 7. What is the role of special educator? Q. 8. Describe in brief the role of Occupational Therapist. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Q. 1. What do you mean by Adaptive Physical Education? Write its Importance also. Q. 2. Explain the types of Disability in detail. Q. 3. Write about the role of various professionals for children with special needs? (any four) Q. 4. What are the causes of disabilities? Give a detailed explanation. 82 Physical Education – XI