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School counselors can utilize adventure-based counseling techniques to improve and enhance the delivery of their guidance curriculum for students in small or large group guidance. The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of how the "National Standards for School Counseling Programs" can provide outcome objectives for school counselors and students who participate in adventure-based counseling interventions.

Roughly 39% of children and youth with disabilities are physically active (Longmuir & Bar-Or, 2000). Increasing the number of individuals with disabilities who are physically active is a public health priority (Kosma, Cardinal & Rintala, 2002). This paper will highlight the current status of physical activity for persons with a disability by discussing (a) barriers and determinants of physical activity, (b) outcomes of physical activity, and (c) activity patterns of persons with disabilities. Strategies will be provided to help teachers, parents, and therapists heighten their awareness of the health benefits of physical activity and increase motivation toward physical activity participation among children and youth with physical disabilities. (Contains 1 table.)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) estimates that one in every 110 children is affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The prevalence of ASDs makes it very likely that every physical education teacher is teaching at least one student with an ASD. This article will provide physical educators with a brief overview of ASDs and suggestions for teaching physical education to students with an ASD. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

Students with autism have needs during physical education that resemble their needs throughout other parts of the day. Many students with autism work with a structured and consistent routine, visual boundaries, and reduced negative sensory stimulation. Meeting these needs requires much effort on the part of physical educator because the physical education environment is different from other school environments--the physical space in which lessons are taught is larger; more people participate in the lessons; more equipment is needed to implement the lessons; and there is combined sensory input. Physical education teachers of students with autism may need to conscientiously arrange the teaching environment and activities such that they allow the students with autism to be safe, successful, and challenged without overstimulating them. This article provides specific teaching tips that have been successful when providing physical education to students with autism. (Contains 1 figure.)

Individuals with Down syndrome typically have low fitness levels and obesity despite data that indicate physiological gains from physical activity and exercise interventions. Low fitness levels and obesity in individuals with Down syndrome may be related to sedentary lifestyles, social and recreational opportunities, or low motivation to be physically active. These causal influences on the overall health of individuals with Down syndrome may be related to parental or caregiver support. Through this study, parents of children with Down syndrome from preschool to adolescent ages were interviewed about their perceptions of the health and physical activity needs of their children. Data from four focus groups indicated the following most salient themes: (1) all parents believed participation in physical activity has immediate and long-term positive health impacts on their child with Down syndrome, and most of the parents thought their child would benefit from being more physically active, (2) most parents observed that their child participated in physical activities primarily for social reasons, most notably to be with their peers with or without Down syndrome or to be with their sibling(s), and that without such motivation their child would choose sedentary activities, (3) parents of teenagers identified a need for their child to learn an individual sport to have sporting opportunities that do not require ability-matched teammates and opponents, and (4) parents recognised their need for help from physical activity specialists through either parent education regarding home-based physical activity programmes or an increase in appropriate community-based physical activity programmes for their child with Down syndrome. The interview data suggest future research should evaluate the outcomes of long-term individualised home-based physical activity interventions for children with Down syndrome. Additionally, educators, recreation specialists, and therapists should assist children and youth with their acquisition of skills used in individual and dual sports.

Fitness testing is an important assessment tool used by physical educators for many purposes. Some states require fitness testing to monitor individual student progress throughout the school year. Some physical educators use it to monitor the effects of the physical education curriculum and to teach concepts such as goal setting and personal accountability. Therefore, if assessment is an important part of physical education programs, correct fitness testing procedures are critical to assuring proper assessment of all students, including students with disabilities. Including students with disabilities in fitness testing requires investigation into appropriate tests, acquisition of required testing equipment, organization of equipment and testing environment, management of an effective testing schedule, and sound pedagogy. When the multidisciplinary team foresees a need to modify the fitness testing environment, the fitness testing equipment, or the fitness tests that are given to the general physical education class to meet the needs of a student with a disability, then the modifications should be noted in the student's individual education plan (IEP) for physical education. When no modifications are needed to include a student with a disability in fitness testing, then the IEP should indicate such and the student should be fully included in fitness testing. It is sometimes helpful to use norm-referenced or criterion-referenced tests where students can assess their fitness levels compared to others or compared to healthy fitness zones. However, there are students with disabilities for whom the current commercially available fitness tests do not "fit." This article describes how all students can be assessed and given the opportunity to set realistic goals and work toward becoming healthier individuals by applying dynamic systems theory (DST) to fitness testing. DST has been used for several years to help professionals in the field of physical education understand motor development and motor skill acquisition. (Contains 7 tables and 9 figures.)

Early movement successes for young children are related to performing activities of daily living without assistance or with minimum assistance, recreational opportunities, and overall health wellness, growth, and development. As children are provided with frequent opportunities to participate in everyday fun and engaging physical activities, they gain foundational skills that lead to success in task-specific skills. The combined benefits from physical activity can improve a child's self-concept, self-esteem, and socialization skills, which are aspects of the affective developmental domain. The child may develop peer relationships, learn to control aggressive behaviors, practice conflict resolution, and engage in leadership activities through play and recreation. These social skills can be transferred to classroom activities such as learning to work in a group, learning to take turns, and other cooperative behaviors. Many therapeutic and early learning goals can be reached through interventions that are implemented during movement times. In this article, the authors provide a list of activity suggestions that can be used by early educators and families to promote early learning goals for young children. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article describes the five-step process used to design and construct a multipurpose fitness playground for students with autism. It can be followed to design school- or community-based playgrounds to meet the various needs of individuals with disabilities. This design yielded an outdoor classroom that can be used during physical education lessons or as a space for unstructured free play during other times of the day. This article describes how to successfully create an environment that helps student with autism feel and be safe physically and emotionally. (Contains 5 figures.)

The purpose of this study was to determine heart rate (HR, b*[min.sup.-1]) response during competitive match play of 6 men who were skilled wheelchair (WC) tennis players. Each participant completed an arm crank ergometer test that measured HR via a telemetry device and V[O.sub.2] via open circuit spirometry from rest until fatigue (V[O.sub.2]peak). Each athlete participated in 2 competitive singles matches during which HRs were recorded in 5-second intervals and V[O.sub.2] was estimated using the corresponding HR values recorded during the arm ergometer tests. Data analysis revealed an average playing intensity of 69.4 [+ or -] 8.9% of HRpeak and 49.9 [+ or -] 14.5% of V[O.sub.2]peak. In conclusion, it is recommended that skilled adult WC tennis players perform off-court aerobic conditioning as part of their training program, because the intensity of a competitive WC tennis match is sufficiently high enough to stress the cardiovascular system. Key Words. heart rate, V[O.sub.2]max, spinal cord injury, amputee

This article focuses on studies related to child disability, as of July 2004. One of the studies provides valuable information to adapted physical activity students, practitioners, and researchers who interact with families of children with disabilities. Another paper provides an overview of seven assessment instruments currently used to assess stress in parents of children with disabilities. Most research on cardiovascular fitness and individuals with mental retardation has been conducted with adolescents or adults with mental retardation.

This article reports that the increased load and repetitive stresses of the daily life of a wheelchair user may result in the development of shoulder pain, rotator cuff tears, and impingement syndrome. It is unclear whether athletic activity is associated with an increase prevalence of shoulder pain or if the increase strength and endurance of athletes serve to protect the shoulder. The investigators in this study attempted to explore the difference in onset and prevalence of shoulder pain between athletic and non-athletic wheelchair users. Additionally, the average number of years spent in a wheelchair before developing shoulder pain was higher for athletes compared to nonathletes.

This article is a review of four major studies that were conducted about physical activity and type 2 diabetes. These landmark clinical trials that assessed the affects of physical activity on type 2 diabetes were conducted in Sweden, China, Finland, and the United States. Results from the studies showed that diabetes development decreased across all age groups, genders, and across ethnic groups as a result of physical activity. These results showed that a lifestyle of moderate intensive aerobic physical activity played a life-sustaining role in type 2 diabetes reduction and prevention.

This study assessed the efficacy of a cardiovascular and strength training program for 52 adults with Down syndrome. Peak oxygen uptake was measured via a symptom-limited graded exercise test while participants rode an electronically braked upright stationary cycle. Strength was measured using bench press and seated leg press machines. Height, weight, and skinfold measures were recorded. The authors' research protocol, discussion of their results, and suggestions for future research will be of interest to researchers seeking to evaluate fitness measures of persons with Down syndrome or persons with mental retardation.

This paper reviews information about a biomedical model to address issues related to osteoarthritis with exercise, rehabilitation, and pain. A correlate approach, the biopsychosocial model, accounts for an individual's understandings, beliefs, emotions, and experiences in mediating pain and disability. That notwithstanding, this paper also shows that exercise also results in significant psychosocial benefits that may be just as important, if not more important, than the physiological benefits. Adapted physical activity specialists who are interested in the psychosocial benefits of exercise on individuals with disabilities should read this article.

This study assessed the influence of a health education and exercise program on the exercise attitudes and psychosocial well-being of adults with Down syndrome. Thirty-two intervention participants completed a 12-week, center-based exercise and health education program. The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for Adults with Developmental Disabilities was used. Additionally, it is important to determine which aspects of the program influenced the development of positive psychosocial outcomes. This article will be of interest to professionals who implement or research health wellness programs for persons with intellectual disabilities.

This paper represents an extension of the Twins' Early Development Study (TEDS) that investigated language, cognitive, and behavior problems in twins ages two, three, and four years. In this study, investigators assessed whether genetic and environmental parameters affect language impairment to the same extent as they affect differences in language ability. Participants included 1,943 pairs of low-language twins from TEDS, all from England and Wales. Results from correlations and ANOVA's statistics showed a significant genetic influence, with a tendency for greater influence in boys. Also, language disability tends to be more strongly under the influence of genetic factors than does language ability in the normal range.