ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The BCIU provides Adaptive Physical Education (APE) services to students ages 5 through 21 from various Berks County school districts.

The National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID) defines APE as physical education that has been adapted or modified to address the individual needs of children and youth who have gross motor developmental delays.

The BCIU teacher who is certified in physical education/special education provides APE services to students in a variety of settings, including:

The general physical education setting
The general physical education setting with a teaching assistant or peers
A separate class setting with peers
A separate class setting with assistants
A one-to-one setting between the student and the instructor

Based on Part 300 of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Pennsylvania’s Chapter 14, Special Education Services and Programs State Regulations, the definition of physical education is:

The development of

Physical and motor fitness;
Fundamental motor skills and patterns; and
Skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports); and

Includes special physical education, adapted physical education, movement education, and motor development.

School districts must make referrals by submitting a Request for School-Age Programs and Services Form to the BCIU.