IEPs and Physical Activity

Does your child have an Individualised Education Plan (IEP)?

Is prescribed physical activity a part of that IEP?  Not just participation/attendance in gym class because often kids with unique and special needs are not fully integrated.  One aspect of integration is that the child is doing THE SAME THING as the their peers which is often not what is happening.

Integration in gym class may not be possible for your child.

Is your child in a regular stream classroom, but doing their own thing with the help of a full time Educational Assistant?
Why not have the student spend more time throughout the day being physically active.  Advocate to have it written in to their IEP.

Exercise has many more benefits for students in than being stuck in the back of a room with an EA not really participating.  While outside walking, or doing specific exercises EAs have the opportunity to talk with and work on task completion, following instructions, practice speaking (if language is an issue), hand eye coordination, balance, strength (stair climb, bar hang)....all of which can benefit the student's inclass experiences.

Parents need to advocate for more prescriptive exercise in their kids IEPs.

Any thoughts and ideas to add?

Malcolm

Help Us Build a Board

Help Us Build a Board of Directors The Exercise IS Therapy Foundation is ready to move forward and we need some help. We are looking for spirited, like minded, happy people to help us put our mandate in motion.  Yes...we are looking for individuals with specific skills in math (read ACCOUNTANT), curiosity (read as GRANT FINDER AND WRITER), a Chatty Charles or Cathy (read as SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT EXTRAORDINAIRE), and someone with a lot of connections (read as SHMOOZE MASTER).   You could be a parent of a kid with special needs, somebody interested in promoting physical literacy for kids with unique needs, or just that ingenious individual who like to make things happen. Maybe we will meet a couple or few times a year. If we all get along we could meet more often! The mandate of the EXercise IS Therapy Foundation is as follows: develop, fund,and facilitate activities and programs to provide exercise therapy to children with unique and special needs develop and present programs to educate families how to tap into their children's unique needs and facilitate a more active lifestyle for their uniquely abled kids develop and present programs within school districts promoting the use of proactive exercise sessions as an alternative to being removed from the classroom for disruptive behaviours But that is not all..the rest would be up to a collaborative discussion on how to access funding for unique initiatives for kids with unique and special needs. Please contact me with your thoughts. Malcolm Founder EXercise IS Therapy Foundation malcolm@exercise-is-therapy.ca

Fundraising Items Perfect for Christmas

We have some gift certificates and snow goggles left over from our EXercise IS Therapy fundraiser and we would like to offer them up for bids on this site.  Please email us to express interest in these items:

Smith Vice Snow Goggles donated by Comor Sports:
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/spo/4785529213.html
VALUE: $140
MIN BID: $50
INSTANT WIN: $75

Innovative Fitness Gift Certificates (2) donated by Innovative Fitness Kits/Four Seasons/Abbotsford
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/for/4785465251.html

**these certificates can be used at any location: Kitsilano, West Vancouver, Whiterock, Four Seasons, Abbotsford, Port Moody

VALUE:  $300 EACH
MIN BID $100 EACH
INSTANT WIN: $275 FOR BOTH

Each Gift Certificate provides 1 consultation and 3 personal training sessions.

All money for these items will go to Canuck Place and 60 Minute Kids Club

Malcolm