Comments on Adapted Physical Activity — Terminology and Concepts

Abstract

In the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) many monographs and articles in periodicals have recently appeared dealing with remedial and adapted movement education involving handicapped individuals. There are marked differences in the concepts and terminologies if the American and English approaches are compared with developments in Germany. Let me first try to examine the objectives of the traditional German approach to physical education. Here the literature makes clear that so-called normal physical education has always stressed the humanistic principles individualization, differentiation, and personality development through playful exploration, interaction, and communication, which we also ascribe to especially in adapted physical education. But if one examines the pracitical implementation of “normal” physical education, it is rather disappointing to note that these ideals are essentially not applied in our schools. This is the case because there are too many students in the classes, and the margin the physical educators choice of programs and activities is too much limited and narrow due to the somewhat rigid school curricula.