Unified PE joins both special education and general education students in the same physical education class. On Friday, students from all PUSD Unified PE classes gathered at Poway High School to compete in a game of soccer. Special Education teacher Alysa Elkins said the event went amazingly well as students from two schools could interact with one another.
“My favorite part of the event is seeing students compete against different schools because sometimes when we’re practicing with our own friends, we’re not as competitive,” Elkins said. “When you’re playing a different school, there’s a lot of energy.”
These competitions, although they prioritize the inclusion and social wellness of the students, still get competitive. They help the students feel the excitement of competition while still staying respectful and maintaining good sportsmanship, Elkins said.
The game kicked off and the students and their buddies were paired up on the same teams. Much of the goals for the teams came from the gen ed students giving great passes to their buddies, showing their great chemistry and comradery between them.
This program is sponsored and run by the organization Special Olympics, which helps the schools work together to create events like the one last week. These events happen each month and are hosted at high schools in the area. These classes are based on the typical gen ed curriculum; however, these events are distributed into 2-3 field trips per term.
The idea of the class is to make the physical education experience for students with disabilities as enjoyable as possible and better-paced for their individual needs and abilities. These students are paired with gen ed students who buddy with them to encourage and enhance the experience, while earning health credits. On top of this competitive aspect, the built-in friendship of a buddy paired with a special education student allows the experience to be much more enjoyable. Elkins said the field trips days with friends make the Unified PE class unique.
“They have a huge impact,” Elkins said. “Students would much rather listen to their friend than a teacher barking at them to participate in a sport.”
One of the main goals for these events is to boost the confidence of these students with disabilities. She added that these events allow the students to express themselves physically in a comforting, friendly environment with their friends and trusted teachers around.
“They have got a lot more confidence because they’ve got their own personal coach and also someone telling them how they’re doing great, so I think it’s a confidence-builder,” she said.
Elkins has recognized that the program helps special education students connect with the school community in a way they typically don’t get to.
“I feel their energy is higher, their school spirit is higher, and there’s more camaraderie with your own school,” she said.
