It is most important that parents realize the value of health-related physical fitness for their children. This must be emphasized because too often parents are only focused on the academic needs which are critical for future employment and success of their child. The importance of health-related fitness to carry out activities of daily living, to become involved in active leisure-time pursuits, and to provide protection against natural degeneration that comes with middle age and beyond must be highly valued by parents and communicated by them to school authorities. Subsequently, parents need to assure that their children are receiving mandated physical education services including provisions for the assessment of health-related physical fitness. This can be enhanced by discussing these services with school authorities and insisting on these services as a part of individual education programs. Since the development of lEPs typically involves special education rather than physical education professionals, parents may need to pay particular attention to seeing that these services are provided. Finally, because the development and maintenance of physical fitness depends on involvement in a variety of well-liked activities, it is critical that skills for participation be developed in a broad-based physical education program. It must be remembered that involvement in physical activity serves as a conditioning function for the development of optimal physical fitness.