Physical Activity and Special Needs

Are you struggling with how to support physical development for children in your care who have special needs?

Think about the vast physical changes that occur between a newborn baby and a young adult. Recall the different things you or children you know were able to do at various stages while growing up. Physical activity is particularly important for our overall development and growth. Moving the different parts of our bodies, sitting up, rolling, crawling, walking, running, jumping, holding, and manipulating varied materials or objects are examples of ways in which we use our bodies to explore our environment and learn about the world. These are also ways to keep our bodies healthy, fit, and well-functioning.  
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For children with special needs, some of these activities are going to be more difficult or look different. A child in a wheelchair for instance may not be able to play traditional hopscotch with everyone. This doesn't mean that we leave them out of the activity all together, instead we modify the activity to fit the individual and make sure to include everyone. In this course, we will explore ways to better include children with disabilities in physical activities through modification and inclusion.

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Physical activity has many benefits to children with special needs, including:

• Controlling weight
• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing the risk of Type II Diabetes
• Increasing circulation
• Improving lung function
• Strengthening bones
• Keeping joints healthy
• Improving coordination and balance
• Improving sleep quality
• Strengthening psychological well-being
• Increasing self-esteem

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***Does this topic interest you?***
You could enroll in our new course titled Adaptive Classrooms: Physical Activity and Children with Special Needs for 2 clock hours. 
​Click here to enroll.

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Comment one activity that you love to do with children to support their physical development. How could you adapt it for a child with special needs?

Here is mine:
I love doing a scavenger hunt type game outside. Even if it is just to find toys (and secretly use the game for them to clean up). I can provide extra support for any child who needs it for picking items up or finding them. I could see if any other children want to help the child by carrying the toy for them (if the child accepts/wants the help).