Adaptive Physical Activity: Models, Inclusion, and Empowerment

To effectively implement this, practitioners use specific types of inquiry to uncover a person's "roster of resources":

• Survival Questions: "What enables you to rise to challenges?"
• Support Questions: "Who in your life can you depend on?"
• Exception Questions: "Tell me about a time when things were going great."
• Possibility Questions: "What are your hopes and aspirations?"

The Evolution of Adaptive Paradigms

The way society approaches physical activity for people with disabilities (PWD) has evolved through three distinct stages:

1. Facility-based Paradigm (Early 1900s): PWD were often viewed as a "menace" to be isolated in institutions, special schools, or residential programs.
2. Service-based Paradigm (1950s–1960s): Driven by public outcry and research into the potential of those once thought "uneducable," this era promoted mainstreaming and skill development.
3. Supports-based Paradigm (1970s–Present): This modern era focuses on inclusion by utilizing natural, human, or technical supports—such as peer support or assistive technology—to facilitate full participation.

Inclusion vs. Integration

It is vital to distinguish between these two terms. Integration is often just a physical presence—placing a person in a setting without changing the setting itself. Inclusion, however, is a philosophy where everyone belongs, contributes, and is valued. Inclusion is a process that ensures people have connection and social responsibility, rather than just being "allowed" to be there.

Implementing Inclusion: The 9-Step Process and Modifications

To move from theory to practice, the Active Living Alliance provides a 9-step inclusion process:

1. Obtain information
2. Identify support
3. Define safety concerns
4. Assess skill
5. Set realistic objectives
6. Contribute to IEP/IPP (Individualized Education/Physical Activity Plan)
7. Select activities
8. Make modifications
9. Implement and evaluate

When a practitioner reaches step 8, they apply modifications to one of five key elements: participants, activity, equipment, environment, or instruction.

Worked Example: Imagine a student with vision loss and balance challenges joining a basketball program. To include them in a dribbling drill, you might:

• Modify Equipment: Use a ball with a bell inside so they can hear it.
• Modify Instruction: Slow down the speed and provide a clear pathway.
• Modify Environment: Provide a chair for them to lean on to assist with balance.

Empowerment, Self-Determination, and Assessment

The ultimate goal of APA is empowerment—the process by which an individual secures increased control over their own life. This is closely linked to self-determination, which is the personal power to make choices, assume responsibility, and take risks. Practitioners must respect personal coherence, recognizing that individuals with disabilities are the true experts on their own lives.

To track progress toward these goals, effective assessment is required. Assessment must follow three core principles:

1. It must yield dependable and consistent results.
2. Placement should be based on assessment, not just opinions.
3. It must provide baseline data to track progress.

Practitioners must distinguish between objective information (measurable data like distance or time) and subjective information (qualitative data like feelings and enjoyment).

Managing Behavior

In an inclusive setting, understanding behavior is essential. The ABC's of behavior can help practitioners analyze and respond to actions:

• Antecedent: The stimulus that occurs before the behavior (e.g., being asked to put on boots).
• Behaviour: The actual response (e.g., throwing the boots).
• Consequence: The result that follows (e.g., being asked to pick them up).