| One-third of the entire student population in the United States consists of minority students, and the portions of culturally and linguistically diverse students are even greater in special education. The existing and increasing diversity among children with disabilities and their peers without disabilities contributes to the challenge of teaching Adapted Physical Education (APE). The "Diversity issues in Adapted Physical Education Survey" was developed to identify teachers' perceptions toward diversity issues. APE specialists (n=72) from a large Los Angeles school district completed the survey. Findings indicated that APE specialists face diversity issues related to teaching students, working with parents and working with teacher assistants. Diversity issues identified in this study were related to students', parents' and teacher assistants' culture, language, and socio-economic status. There is a need for multicultural and diversity training directly related to the delivery of APE service. Researchers must continue investigating multicultural education and diversity issues in PE and APE, which will guide the development of resources to deliver quality APE services to culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities. |
