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NCHPAD - Building Healthy Inclusive Communities

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Physical Activity Before and After School


Physical activity before and after school provides opportunities for all students, including those with special needs, to: 1) practice what they have learned in physical education, 2) work toward the nationally recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, 3) become more adequately prepared for learning, 4) engage in safe, social, and supervised activities, and 4) identify activities they enjoy and might engage in long term. CSPAP Page 14

Before and after school programs create a unique opportunity for inclusion in the school community.  There can be an increased interaction between students with and without disabilities of varying ages and ability levels along with opportunities for friendships and benefits to students with and without disabilities.  This environment allows for use of peer to peer programs or buddy systems to increase physical activity.  This might include a program such as I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI).  ICDI is an innovative mentoring initiative that has been adopted and sustained by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN).

Before- and after-school physical activity programs offer students an opportunity to be physically active instead of waiting in a sedentary setting for the school day to begin or end.  CSPAP Page 14

The CSPAP guide provides a good list of ideas for including physical activity into the before and after school time periods.  Below are some ideas and resources that create a more inclusive environment for students with disabilities.

Walking and biking to school

-Consider community accessibility, such as curb cuts or safety crossing streets.

-Utilize Safe Routes to Schools program materials.

Physical activity clubs or intramural programs

-Consider offering club opportunities that allow for students with and without disabilities to play together.

Informal recreation or play on school grounds

-Assess the accessibility of playgrounds and outdoor play areas and make changes to improve access.

-Provide equipment that allows for inclusion of students with disabilities into activities.

Coordinated with community-based programs and delivered in school settings

-Seek out programs that offer inclusive programs.

-Access the NCHPAD website to link to community resources.

National AfterSchool Association HEPA Standards

-Adopt the healthy eating and physical activity standards in out-of-school time which include students with disabilities.

Before and After School Resources

I Can Do It, You Can Do It!
http://www.fitness.gov/participate-in-programs/i-can-do-it-you-can-do-it/
 
Involving Students with Disabilities in SRTS
www.saferoutesinfo.org/sites/default/files/.../Involving_students_with_disabilities.pdf
http://www.nchpad.org/1230/5883/Safe~Routes~to~School


Including All Students: Frequently Asked Questions about Including Students with Disabilities in After School and Summer Programs
www.nysan.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Inclusion-FAQ.pdf

Promoting Inclusion of Children and Youth with Disabilities: Tips and Tools for After School Professionals
www.bostnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Inclusion-Guide.pdf

Special Olympics Unified Sports® http://resources.specialolympics.org/Taxonomy/Community_Building/Youth_and_School_Activation/Unified_Schools_Resources_All.aspx
HEPA Standards
http://www.niost.org/images/host/Healthy_Eating_and_Physical_Activity_Standards.pdf

Disabled Sports USA
http://www.disabledsportsusa.org/chapters/ 


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