Technological Applications in Physical Education

The physical education (PE) teacher at this high school learns how to integrate a high-tech assistive device into his class for a new student who is nonverbal and uses a walker or wheelchair. The school’s paraprofessional disagrees that the student should be permitted to use the device during PE because it could be broken. Even with ample accommodations for physical participation, the student still has difficulty communicating with her peers and becomes agitated. Upon consulting with the student’s special education teacher, the PE teacher learns about an app-based assistive technology that could be programmed so the student can prepare when and how to use the device safely throughout class. The student blossoms in PE, as well as socially, by being able to preprogram her device to communicate more closely to real time.

Num Pages: 5