Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching at the University of Texas and traveling the state leading professional-development workshops for the past 11 years, I have been asked a tremendous number of questions regarding adapted physical education (APE). I have compiled my answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please submit them through this Web site.  To read the answer to the following questions, just click on the red question.  Please give us feedback in our guestbook on our send in a question page, we would enjoy to hear from you.

1. What is the role of the adapted physical educator?

2. Who can teach APE?

3. Is there an APE certification?

4. What is APENS?

5. How can I get additional training in APE?

6. Should every school district have an adapted physical educator?

7. Should APE be facilitated through athletics, physical education or special education?

8. Are there established APE programs that would be useful to visit?

9. Must a student be evaluated before being placed in APE?

10. Who can do the APE evaluation?

11. Which evaluation instrument should I use?

12. Must a standardized evaluation be used in all cases?

13. For students with more involved disabilities, can a physical therapist’s evaluation be used to determine PE placement?

14. How can I get training to administer the evaluation?

15. How often should a student be evaluated?

16. Once the assessment is complete, how do you determine if the student qualifies for APE?

17. How often should a student receive APE?

18. Who writes the IEP objectives, and who is responsible for implementation?

19. Who is responsible for writing modifications for PE?

20. What should I do if APE is the best placement for the student but the parents insist on general PE?

21. What if I, the APE specialist, recommend general PE and in my absence my decision is reversed in the IEP meeting?

22. What if I need a para-educator to accompany a student into the general PE environment?

23. How can I be included in the IEP meetings?

24. Does a student in general PE come with an IEP?

25. Can physical therapy substitute for APE?

26. Can a student receive both general and adapted PE?

27. Is it acceptable to place a student in general PE and occasionally have the student go to APE to work on particular skills?

28. Can a student in general PE work on separate tasks with a para-educator?

29. Where can I get activities for students with disabilities?

30. How can a student with a disability meet the TEKS in general PE?

31. Where can I get the money for equipment?

32. How do I get the space and facilities I need to teach my APE class?

33. How many students with disabilities can be placed in my general PE class?

34. How do I keep students with disabilities from getting hurt in my PE classes?

35. What is atlantoaxial instability?

36. What is an ecological inventory?

37. What is community-based programming?

38. Should secondary students receive APE until they graduate?

39. What is the ITP?

40. What role does the PE specialist play in the development of the ITP?

45. What is the difference between adapted physical education and adaptive physical education?

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 Lauren Mikulencak and Tanica Jamison