I am finding myself getting very frustrated. I received a new student this year who is diagnosed on the autism spectrum. He is one of those student's who is aware of any differences that he has. At the beginning of the year, his mom's thing was his asthma. I'll always send a child to the nurse if they say they are having difficulty. He is not the first child to walk in my gym after 12 years with asthma. In my opinion his asthma isn't a severe issue. I can not recall the child ever saying that he had difficulties breathing so far this year. I have received doctors notes excusing him from any physical activity. There are no details on the note as to why and there are no end dates either. I found out that he had some sort of ankle injury but this injury was back before thanksgiving. His mother told the classroom teachers that playing on a hard gym floor is just too painful but he can play during recess time on the playground because the wood chips are softer. If you think logically, being on an uneven surface like wood chips would probably enhance the possibility of an ankle injury. I sat down with the school nurse today with the current note that I received because it said "please call our office if you have questions." I figured if a medical professional calls like her that office, maybe she could get some more information. I simply want to know what alternative activities he can do. My class is a participation class. If she doesn't want him playing on my "hard gym floor" yet says its okay to play on a playground, I will put him on a scooter. I will unfold mats and he can do stuff on the mats. I just completely disagree with letting him sit out completely because it's exactly what he wants and I do not believe there is any sort of current injury. If I get enough push back, I am going to make this child write book reports on physical activity, sports, etc and take a grade on it. He is not going to just sit around in my gym and do nothing. To say it plainly, the child is unmotivated. He doesn't like my class and doesn't like any other classes including the other specialist classes. Getting him to do anything is like pulling teeth. And I would not be surprised if this mother would try to get doctors notes for the rest of the year. The nurse hasn't gotten back with me yet. I am interested to see what she is going to say.
I'm assuming that if the note said to call that the mother signed the necessary HIPPA paperwork allowing the doc to talk to the school. Otherwise, that's a non-starter. Kids on the spectrum often have sensory difficulties that can make little sense to neurotypical people. I work with a college student on the spectrum who needs e-book version of his textbooks because real books are too heavy. The kid is 6'+ and reasonably fit, but he's sensitive to weight, so a 10lb bag is too much. For your student, there may be an issue regarding joint impact, which would make sense regarding wood chips vs. gym floor. If that's the case, there are low-impact activities like yoga that he could safely do on mats. Maybe try having him be the score-keeper or referee on game days- just so he's doing something. If the doctor confirms that he's not allowed to participate in anything, ask your P if there's somewhere else he can be and actually be benefiting from that time. If he gets any pull-out services, that would be the ideal time to schedule them. I had to write a 2-page report nearly every day in HS for two years because of chronic joint problems and it was absolutely miserable. Unless he can benefit from the writing practice, it's not worth it.
I have a hard time believing he is fine on the playground but can't participate in Gym. Sounds like the child makes the rules in that house.
This is what I would do. But, as another poster suggested, talk with his SPED teacher and/or the principal before making a decision about this.
I don't know your particular laws on PE, if it's mandatory, if an IEP would apply to it. But if this kid really truly can't participate properly in PE with mats or what have you, it's time to sit down and get some real physical education requirement modifications on paper. Not just leave it at "he doesn't like to participate".
One of the problems with teaching at the elementary level is that grades aren't as much important to those younger students as they are to older students. Some of the younger elementary students may not even a full understanding of their grades. I know in some cases, students may not even receive a grade in PE but a check mark or some other rating to indicate their proficiency. Having him do written assignments could work if he's in upper elementary, but in any case I would agree with the other posters above and consult with the SPED teacher if possible. SPED teacher may have some better alternative suggestions for you and the student. Maybe you also try individualized learning in your PE class using learning stations or station activities for the student. And while reminding the student of the importance of receiving a good grade, I don't think it's a good idea to constantly remind him of it or call him out about his performance in class in front of the students. I'm not saying you do this, but I don't know.
Maybe an IEP meeting is in order? If he cannot participate in regular gym, he needs Adaptive PE so he can participate in physical education.
In my Adaptive PE classes in HS and MS, I had a classmate who some people were like "why do they need to take gym???" One was a very nice guy with moderate-severe CP, he needed to use a walker, had leg braces, had OT and PT every week, he would be given activities in line with his goals - some of the time he would have one of those children's basketball hoops and a small ball to throw in - don't know what goal it addressed, but he would do it. One of the only cases where I could see no physical activity being an option is something like if the student has a shunt in their head.
Yes, but the child with the shunt would not be allowed to go to the playground (due to severe circumstances) but the student in question is.
Contact whomever is in charge of the ARD process at your site and request one. You shouldn't have to be the only one to figure out a solution.
