Addressing physical inactivity among developmentally disabled students through visual schedules and social stories.
BACKGROUND
This project tested visual schedules and social stories in a physical education setting in order to increase the physical activity of developmentally disabled students.


METHODS
This cohort study design involved 17 physical education teachers in a training course with an initial survey and 7-month post-survey. The initial survey assessed participant experience with developmentally disabled students, visual schedules and social stories. The post-survey assessed usage of, effectiveness of, and satisfaction with visual schedules and social stories in a physical education setting.


RESULTS
On the initial survey, 100% of the participants reported that they work with developmentally disabled students and 24% reported little to no training in working with this population. On the post-survey, 75% of the participants reported using visual schedules in their teaching and 64% found them to be "effective" or "very effective". Six percent used social stories in their teaching, reporting them as 100% "very effective".


CONCLUSIONS
There is an indication that visual schedules and social stories are effective learning tools in the physical education setting, increasing opportunities for developmentally disabled students to be physically active. However, additional resources and training are needed in order for physical education teachers to implement these tools widely in their classes.
Zimbelman
Merilee
M
University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214-3199, USA.
Paschal
Angelia
A
Hawley
Suzanne R
SR
Molgaard
Craig A
CA
St Romain
Theresa
T
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D012919:Social Behavior; D013664:Teaching Materials