The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effects of implementing a pictographic schedule within a currently structured swimming class consisting of individuals diagnosed with autism. Three boys (11 to 17 years) enrolled at a school for children with developmental disabilities served as participants. A time-series design was used to assess the effects of the pictographic activity schedules on the variables of time on-task, time off-task, and inappropriate response time in the activity setting, while rates of inappropriate behaviour were examined within the associated changeroom setting prior to and following the activity setting. The results indicated that activity schedules, when implemented in a physical activity setting, increase time on-task and decrease inappropriate response time in children with autism. In addition, when compared to periods of no schedule-use, activity schedules assisted in the reduction of rates of inappropriate behaviour within settings prior to and following activity sessions. Findings for the variable of time off-task yielded inconclusive results. The implications of these findings show the importance of visual activity schedules within all domains of education, including those involving physical activity.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to analyze specific biomechanical and physiological variables in disabled swimmers performing a functional backcrawl. The effect of selectively placed flotation devices on the body position, exercise heart rate, and perceived exertion of the swimmer was compared to swimming with no flotation. The participants in the study included eight able-bodied males 21.5 (+2.51) yrs. and four disabled males 29.25 (+2.22) yrs. Each subject performed the backcrawl for 3 consecutive lengths of a 25 meter pool under four separate trial conditions: free swimming, swimming with the hip flotation device, the knee flotation device, and the ankle flotation device. Immediately following each trial a post-exercise heart rate was taken and the subject was asked to rate perceived exertion. Full recovery was allowed after each trial. Trials were video taped and digitized to determine the mean angles at the neck, trunk, hip, and knee during one complete stroke cycle. The investigator recognizes that this generalization presents the possibility for a bias in the data and that further study would warrant the utilization of the different phases of the stroke for determination of body angles. The results of the study demonstrated that a significant difference did exist between the disabled and able-bodied hip angle during free swimming. Within the disabled group, no significant differences were evident when comparing the body angles during free swimming to the same angles while swimming with each of the flotation devices. Correlations between heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion for all subjects (n=12) were significant in each of the four trial conditions. / School of Physical Education

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether traditional learn-to-swim progressions, leading to the front and back swim, were developmentally valid for children with physical disabilities. / Forty children between the ages of 5 and 12 years participated in this study. The children were described according to four descriptive characteristics: disability type, functional sport classification, mode of ambulation, and need of a flotation device. The children required recommendation from their regular aquatic instructor as being comfortable in the water to participate in the study. In addition, each child had to pass a water orientation-adjustment test. / The developmental validity of the progressions was assessed by testing the children on seven skills: rhythmic breathing, front float, front glide, front swim, back float, back glide, and back swim. A pass consisted of all criteria for success being met for a particular skill. The data were analyzed to determine the number of children who followed the typical progression and the number who followed an atypical progression. / The results indicated that the proposed learn-to-swim progressions for both the front swim and back swim were not developmentally valid for most children with physical disabilities who were neither extremely high nor low in functional sport ability. / These results are consistent with the views of ecological theory and suggest that not all children with physical disabilities will reach an end-goal using the same means. Aquatic instructors therefore, need to adapt their teaching methods to the individual strengths of their students.

No description available.