APA and COVID-19

Project on Adapted Physical Education and COVID-19

As lockdown took place throughout Europe, concerns have been raised about the way physical education continued (or not) during remote schooling. The immediate transition from face to face to remote physical education left many teachers unprepared and having to deal with many technologies that required changes to the knowledge, content and pedagogy. The situation may have been further complicated when working with pupils with special educational needs. Therefore, it has raise the question of whether the existing standards for adapted physical education require a review.

Members of the European Federation of Adapted Physical Activity are interested to find out the general situation on the provision of adapted physical education in schools across Europe during the COVID-19 lockdown. This project is coordinated by EUFAPA Vice-President Dr Kwok Ng.

The survey for PE teachers is available in

  • English
  • French
  • Latvian
  • Lithuanian
  • Portuguese

Following the completion of the survey, The link to the updated Standards can be viewed from here: https://osf.io/hb4xr/

Results from the study that were then used to inform and guide the updates to the education part of the EUSAPA was published and made available through Open Access on the European Journal of Special Needs Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08856257.2021.1872848

Current research in the area of APA and COVID-19

  • Ng, K. (2020). Adapted Physical Activity through COVID-19. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 13, 1. https://doi.org/10.5507/euj.2020.003
  • Fitzgerald, H., Stride, A., & Drury, S. (2020). COVID-19, lockdown and (disability) sport. Managing Sport and Leisure. https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2020.1776950
  • Di Stefano V., Battaglia G. & Giustino V. (2020) Significant reduction of physical activity in patients with neuromuscular disease during COVID-19 pandemic: the long-term consequences of quarantine. J Neurol. 2020 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-020-10064-6
  • Settembre, N., Maurice, P., Paysant, J., Theurel, J., Claudon, L., Kimmoun, A., Levy, B., Hani, H., Chenuel, B., & Ivaldi, S. (2020). The use of exoskeletons to help with prone positioning in the intensive care unit during COVID-19. Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 63(4), 379–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rehab.2020.05.004
  • Cardoso V.D., Nicoletti, L.P., & Haiachi M.C.. (2020) Impactos da pandemia do COVID-19 e as possibilidades de atividades físicas e esportivas para pessoas com deficiência. Rev Bras Ativ Fis Saúde [Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibilities of physical and sports activities for people with disabilities] 2020;25. https://rbafs.emnuvens.com.br/RBAFS/article/view/14356
  • Foster, E., Lepore-Stevens, M., Adams, D. & Lepore, M. (2020). The sports camp experience continued during COVID pandemic for children with visual impairments. Palaestra, 34,3, 8-11. https://js.sagamorepub.com/palaestra/article/view/10805
  • Garcia JM, Lawrence S, Brazendale K, et al. Brief Report: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviors in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Disability and Health Journal, 2020, 101021, ISSN 1936-6574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.101021
  • Ng K., Klavina A., Ferreira J.P., Barrett U., Pozeriene J. & Reina R.  (2021) Teachers’ preparedness to deliver remote adapted physical education from different european perspectives: updates to the european standards in adapted physical activity, European Journal of Special Needs Education, DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2021.1872848
  • Theis N., Campbell N., De Leeuw J., Owen M. & Schenke K. (2021) The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on physical activity and mental health of children and young adults with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Disability and Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101064
  • Maugeri, G., & Musumeci, G. (2021). Adapted Physical Activity to Ensure the Physical and Psychological Well-Being of COVID-19 Patients. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 6(1), 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jfmk6010013
  • Keely A. Shaw, Leandy Bertrand, Daton Deprez, Jongbum Ko, Gordon A. Zello, Philip D. Chilibeck, (2021) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diet, fitness, and sedentary behaviour of elite para-athletes, Disability and Health Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101091
  • Huang, S., Sun, T., Zhu, Y., Song, S., Zhang, J., Huang, L., Chen, Q., Peng, G., Zhao, D., Yu, H., & Jing, J. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with ASD and Their Families: An Online Survey in China. Psychology research and behavior management, 14, 289–297. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S293426
  • Roldan, R., & Reina, R. (2021). Are self-efficacy gains of university students in adapted physical activity influenced by online teaching derived from the COVID-19 pandemic? Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 654157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654157
  • Motton, S., Vergriete, K., VanPhi, L.N. et al. (2021). Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the quality of life of patients monitored for cancer who practice an adapted physical activity: rugby for health. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-021-03621-7
  • Stone, W. J., & Baker, K. M. (2021). A roadmap: Social distancing physical activity data collection to protect those with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295211009655
  • M. Bentzen, B. Brurok, K. Roeleveld et al., (2021). Changes in physical activity and basic psychological needs related to mental health among people with physical disability during the Covid-19 pandemic in Norway, Disability and Health Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101126
  • Greguol, M., Conti, C., Malagodi, B. M., Seron, B. B., Souto, E. C., & Carraro, A. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity practice of people with disabilities. Education Sciences & Society  12(1). https://doi.org/10.3280/ess1-2021oa11886
  • Conners, R.T.; Bates, L.C.; Lassalle, P.P.; Zieff, G.; Whitehead, P.N.; Stevens, S.; Killen, L.; Cochrum, R.; Rodebaugh, K.L.; Faghy, M.; Stoner, L. (2021). Current and Future Implications of COVID-19 among Youth Wheelchair Users: 24-Hour Activity Behavior. Children, 8, 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080690
  • Shahnaz Shahrbanian, Meysam Yavari Kateb, Patricia K. Doyle-Baker & Fahimeh Hassani (2021) Physical activity for children with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19 pandemic, International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2021.1961205
  • Bentzen, Brurok, Roeleveld, Hoff, Jahnsen, Wouda, Baumgart (2021). Changes in physical activity and basic psychological needs related to mental health among people with physical disability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Disability and Health Journal, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101126
  • Aksen-Cengizhan, P.., Doğan, A.A.., & Işık, O. (2021). Avoiding isolation: Physical activity for persons with disabilities and Covid-19. Balt J Health Phys Activ, 1, 65-73. https://doi.org/10.29359/BJHPA.2021.Suppl.1.08
  • Theis, N., Campbell, N., De Leeuw, J., Owen, M., Schenke, K. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on physical activity and mental health of children and young adults with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 14(3), 101064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101064
  • Nevzad Denerel & Yavuz Lima (2021) Competing against COVID-19: what about the mental health problems of athletes with disabilities?, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, DOI: 10.1080/00913847.2021.2022967
  • Urbański, P., Szeliga, Ł. & Tasiemski, T. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on athletes with disabilities preparing for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. BMC Res Notes 14, 233 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05646-0
  • Temple, V. A. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic and Individuals With Intellectual Disability: Special Olympics as an Example of Organizational Responses and Challenges, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 39(3), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2021-0137
  • Salar S, Haegele J A, Daneshmandi H. Iranian Parents’ Perceptions on Physical Activity for Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic. PTJ. 2022; 12 (1) :23-30, http://ptj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-511-en.html
  • James, M. E., Odorico, N., Moore, S. A., Martin Ginis, K. A., Bassett-Gunter, R. L., & Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P. (2022). Parent Support Is Related to Physical Activity among Children and Youth with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the National Physical Activity Measurement (NPAM) Study. Disabilities, 2(3), 451–461. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/disabilities2030032
  • Li, M. H., Yu, J. J., Wong, S. H. S., Sum, R. K. W., & Sit, C. H. P. (2022). Associations Between Perceived Social Support, Perceived Competence, and Physical Activity in Hong Kong Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2021-0198
  • Dehghansai, N., Mazhar, A., Pinder, R., Baker, J., & Renshaw, I. (2022). The Emergence of the Pandemic: High-Performance Coach and Athlete Experiences, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2022-0021
  • Urbanski, P., Rogoza, R., Brewer, B., Tasiemski, T. (2022). Coping with the COVID‐19 pandemic by Paralympic athletes preparing for elite sport events: A longitudinal study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14270
  • Meijer K, Hoekstra T, Brandenbarg P, COVID-19 Disability Survey Group, ReSpAct 2.0 Group, Hoekstra F. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Social Isolation among Adults with Physical Disabilities Living in Canada and The Netherlands. Disabilities. 2022; 2(4):778-794. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities2040054
  • Arbour-Nicitopoulos KP, James ME, Moore SA, Sharma R, Martin Ginis KA. (2022). Movement behaviours and health of children and youth with disabilities: Impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Paediatric Child Health. 23;27(Suppl 1):S66-S71. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxac007
  • Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Mitra, R., Sharma, R., & Moore, S. A. (2023). Outdoor Physical Activity and Play Among Canadian Children and Youth With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the National Physical Activity Measurement Study, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (published online ahead of print 2023). https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2022-0080

Reports on APA

Canadian Disability Participation Project – April 2020. COVID-19: Supporting the physical and mental health of families of children with disabilities

Activity Alliance – COVID-19 and disabled people snapshot – December 2020. http://www.activityalliance.org.uk/how-we-help/research/5854-covid19-and-disabled-people-snapshot-december-2020

Sport Ireland – Return to Sport and Physical Activity – People with Disabilities. https://www.sportireland.ie/covid19/return-to-sport-and-physical-activity-people-with-disabilities

UNICEF – Children with disabilities learn through sport during COVID-19. https://www.unicef.org/kenya/stories/Children-with-disabilities-learn-through-sport-during-COVID-19

Arbour-Nicitopoulos,K. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Movement Behaviours of Canadian Children and Youth with Disabilities: Baseline Survey Results. Canadian Disability Participation Project. https://cdpp.ca/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20Survey%20Infographic%20-%2012.11.2020%20-%20Final.pdf
T2 Survey infographic – https://cdpp.ca/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20T2%20Survey%20Infographic%20-%2002.15.2021.pdf.

Anastasovski,I. (2021). Influence of diagnosis of people with intellectual disability for sport and physical activity during the pandemic period 19. White Paper. Available on ResearchGate