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Adapted Physical Education Info Base

EFA LOGOThe present information base (http://www.pe.uth.gr/efa/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=40&lang=en) of adapted physical education is the first created in Greece, with an aim to improve the connection between University studies with primary and secondary school education and to provide educational support to PE teachers and students who care and are willing to provide support to students with disabilities within typical or special school contexts.

In Greece, Law 2817/2000 that established the term "co-education" of students with and without disabilities and the most recent Law 3699/08 that reformed education support provided to students with disabilities and forwarded inclusion in Greece, are the most important special education laws up to date. However, as happened in other countries in previous years, an obvious gap is still noticed between theory and real application of inclusion in practice in Greek educational settings.

Thus, approaching this information base in this transitory education period toward full inclusion in practice, it is important for PE teachers to initially understand that adapted physical education, as special education in general, is not a matter of concern only for few teachers who offer their services in special education environments. The fact that in typical schools the majority of students do not present any motor, intellectual, sensory or emotional disabilities doesn’t mean that there aren’t children in typical schools who fall short in terms of their ability to participate and profit from PE lessons compared to their peers.

In today’s education aiming to provide equal learning opportunities and to reduce social discriminations, the inclusion of students with disabilities in typical classes is a “one-way road” for all developed countries and the main teaching prerequisite for the next decades. Knowledge in adapted physical education constitutes a necessary requirement for a skillful PE teacher who is in position to satisfy the educational needs of all students in his class. In this direction, this information base aims to offer as much as possible assistance. 

In this hard effort made by the teaching staff and students of the adapted physical education specialty through this information base, we call every PE teacher and student to participate by sending lesson plans and communicating via the forum.  A little imagination and enthusiasm to search within your personal PE files and relative internet sources is the only requirement. We are looking forward for your contribution!

Kokaridas Dimitrios (Lecturer)
Maggouritsa Georgia(PhD.)
Adapted Physical Education Specialty
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science
University of Thessaly