The Motivate, Adapt, and Play Program was specifically designed as an adapted physical activity (PA) program for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to meet required school PA policies to combat childhood obesity. The policies commonly require a minimum of 30 min of PA per school day. A study was undertaken to test the efficacy of the program. Twenty‐five students with ID (9 girls, 16 boys; ages 9.7 ± 1.2) from four elementary schools in the southeastern United States participated in the study. The health‐related fitness measures of the 16‐m shuttle run test, the modified curl‐up test, and the back‐saver sit‐and‐reach test were completed at the beginning and at the end of an 8‐week period. Body mass index (BMI) measurements were also obtained. During the interval, participants completed a 30 min/day, 5 days/week activity program, focusing on cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and muscular strength and endurance activities, utilizing specialized equipment. Over the 8 weeks, there was a significant increase in the health‐related fitness scores obtained. As expected, there was a slight decrease in BMI over 8 weeks, although it was a nonsignificant finding. The findings suggest that the health‐related fitness of students with ID can be improved through engaging in a school‐based daily adapted PA program.

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A Close Look at the Physical Fitness Levels of Elementary Age Students with Intellectual DisabilitiesIntroduction: Little is known about the physical fitness levels of school-aged children with intellectual disabilities, when comparing groups of healthy weight and unhealthy weight. Purpose: To compare the fitness levels of healthy weight and unhealthy weight children with intellectual disabilities in three elementary schools in the southeastern United States. Methods: Four fitness measures (PACER, Modified Curl-Ups, Modified Pull-ups, and the Back-Saver Sit-and-Reach) were obtained from 26 youth (10 girls, 16 boys; 10.01 + 1.22). Additionally, fitness levels of students who were overweight/obese were statistically compared with those with healthy weights. Results: A pattern of overall low fitness levels was found in comparison to criterion-referenced standards regarding all of the fitness measures, and students who were overweight/obese performed poorly compared to those with healthy weight. The only statistically significant finding was the comparison of healthy and unhealthy weight groups on the modified pullup. Conclusions: The study suggests a strong need for adaptive physical education and active recess programs that are appropriate for developing the fitness levels of elementary students with intellectual disabilities.

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