Physical activity among children and young people with intellectual disabilities in special schools: Teacher and learning support assistant perceptions

Abstract

Accessible summary• We talked to teachers and learning support assistants about physical activity opportunities in school for children and young people with intellectual disabilities.• Schools require a lot of space to support physical activity.• Schools need specialist equipment to help children and young people to be physically active.• It is better for children and young people to do physical activities that are suited to them. AbstractBackground: Despite well-established benefits of engaging in regular physical activity, children and young people with intellectual disabilities are significantly less active than their age peers.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two teachers of PE and two learning support assistants working in special schools in order to provide an insight into the physical activity tendencies of children and young people (CYP) with intellectual disabilities.Results: Access to and use of outdoor spaces was claimed to have a positive impact on the physical activity tendencies of CYP with intellectual disabilities. However, the schools we visited had limited indoor space, which impacted negatively on the duration and frequency of physical activity that CYP were able to engage in, particularly when space had to be shared because of timetabling issues and unfavourable weather. When it came to the "type" of physical activities, individual, self-initiated and self-regulated were favoured. Conclusions:We end by suggesting that the onus is on teachers and learning support assistants to think of creative ways of using limited indoor space. The use of dining and assembly halls may be one solution. So, too, may be more individualised physical activities because they are often better suited to the needs and capabilities of CYP, and can often be performed in limited space. K E Y W O R D Schildren with disabilities, education, health, intellectual disability

The feasibility and acceptability of a classroom-based physical activity program for children attending specialist schools: a mixed-methods pilot study

“…Prior literature supports the importance of designing programs that can be adapted to meet the needs of different student populations to encourage effective implementation [36,69] and indicates that a approach is required to facilitate PA participation for children with disabilities [70]. This also aligns with findings of Mazzoli et al's [38] feasibility study of active breaks in specialist schools, which demonstrate that a cognitively challenging motor task may be feasible if tailored to the specific needs of students.…”

Systematic review of the evidence to support expert practice in the education and care of children and young people with special educational needs and disability in the UK

“…Appraisal of qualitative studies is summarised in Table 5. Six studies did not detail the recruitment strategy fully (Davis, Carter, Myers, et al., 2018; Franklin and Goff, 2019; Loyd, 2015; Maher and Fitzgerald, 2020; Pierce and Maher, 2020; Rees, e al., 2017). Four studies failed to address researcher‐participant relationship or contingency planning to reduce researcher influence (Downs, Knowles, Fairclough, et al., 2014; Pierce and Maher, 2020; Rees, et al., 2017; Young, et al., 2016).…”

“…Six studies did not detail the recruitment strategy fully (Davis, Carter, Myers, et al., 2018; Franklin and Goff, 2019; Loyd, 2015; Maher and Fitzgerald, 2020; Pierce and Maher, 2020; Rees, e al., 2017). Four studies failed to address researcher‐participant relationship or contingency planning to reduce researcher influence (Downs, Knowles, Fairclough, et al., 2014; Pierce and Maher, 2020; Rees, et al., 2017; Young, et al., 2016). A clear statement of study aims was not discerned in the report by Maher and Fitzgerald (2020).…”

“…The qualitative studies explored a variety of topics including standing frame use (Goodwin, Lecouturier, Smith, et al., 2019), development of residential school inspection (Franklin and Goff, 2019), children's opinions of drama lessons (Loyd, 2015), health promotion (Davis, et al., 2018), communication (Greathead, Yates, Hill, et al., 2016), implicit professional practice (Crombie, Sullivan, Walker, et al., 2014) and how post‐16 individuals with autism had their views and aspirations expressed during the EHCP process (Gaona, et al., 2020). Three studies explored physical activity in disabled children (Downs, et al., 2014; Maher and Fitzgerald, 2020; Pierce and Maher, 2020).…”

“…In a similar study, Pierce and Maher (2020) interviewed two PE teachers and two learning support assistants, to explore PA for children with intellectual disability. Data from the semi‐structured interviews were analysed thematically.…”