When teaching individuals with autism it is important to pay particular attention to fitness and movement as these individuals are less likely than typical children to achieve the recommended level physical activity. Common characteristics of autism spectrum disorder can include deficits in communication and social behavior, which may limit…

Health and physical education departments across the United States often face perception and reputation problems on campus and a general misunderstanding of the nature of their academic work. One solution is to offer a faculty-and-staff fitness program that showcases the academic and leadership skills of the faculty, opens doors for collaboration…

Objective: The primary objective of this paper is to present the evolution, purpose, and definition of direct supervision in the athletic training clinical education. The secondary objective is to briefly present the factors that may negatively affect the quality of direct supervision to allow remediation and provide higher quality clinical…

Group exercise leader certifications often include a written, as well as a practical, component. In order to prepare candidates for certification, some organizations offer workshops before the examination. However, candidates are expected to have prior experience in leading group exercise. Undergraduate fitness leadership classes can be an…

Since last school year, the St. Lucie County (Florida) Public Schools reduced the number of buses it operates from 399 to 362, despite opening two new schools. Add in some other smart changes in policy, and the district lowered its annual transportation costs by more than $3 million over last year. Saving $3 million a year does not come easily,…

This article describes a four-credit semester program at Elliot Lake Secondary School in the late 1990s. This New Trails program is based around physical education and leadership, geography, Native studies, and English credits. The students are outside much of the time. The students become certified in the use of GPS and in map and compass work,…

A newsletter can be an effective component of a comprehensive plan for sharing information. A newsletter, in contrast to progress reports, surveys, open houses, or conferences, is a regular opportunity that allows for consistent sharing of information about the program. In this article, the authors discuss how to plan and produce newsletters and…

This case report describes the use of treadmill training without body weight support to improve walking speed in a child with diplegic cerebral palsy. The child was a six-year-old girl with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. She walked short distances independently using a posterior support walker but was unable to keep up with her peers walking…

Historically, gymnastics has served an essential role in physical education and the development of physical fitness. Participating in gymnastics-related activities can improve the physical and motor fitness of children of all ages and can make significant contributions to the goals of physical education. This article describes the importance of…

Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the April 2013 of JOPERD, presented the theoretical foundation and evidence-based needs for a main-theme curriculum model called Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE) for schools. It also described eight strands that could be used to plan, implement, and assess this version of a comprehensive school…

Teaching wellness principles in secondary physical education classes has become an important aspect of physical education as teachers work to help their students develop lifelong healthy lifestyle habits. Many schools now have a required wellness/fitness component as part of their state core requirements. Having developed their teaching skills by…

As schools work to ensure that all students have the skills and competencies to succeed in work and life, and with growing expectations for success on standardized assessments at the federal, state and local levels, education leaders increasingly understand the importance of student wellness to achieving these goals. This report outlines why…

Children in the United States are less active and more overweight today than at any time in history, and there has been a dramatic increase in obesity. Obesity can lead to physical and psychological health issues. Many adults recognize the health issues that can stem from childhood obesity, but may not be aware of the clear implication of the…

In many states, physical education classes must compete and rotate with music, art, computer lab, library, and/or counseling. To meet state-mandated minimum weekly time requirements, some districts choose to have all students of a particular grade in physical education at the same time (often to accommodate the classroom teachers' requests for a…

Appropriate physical education is a mandated part of a child's Individual Educational Program (IEP). It is not optional, nor should parents want it to be optional. This is the time in the day for the child to develop in a variety of ways that are very important to healthy living for the rest of his or her life. The purpose of physical education is…