Adapted Physical Education and Sport
Section A - Refer to the article to answer the following questions in this section.
Mothers' support drives para-athletes' success
SINGAPORE: As you watch him glide through the pool with seeming ease, you would not think Benson Tan was born with special needs.
At the age of five, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - one of the most common childhood disorders that can continue through adolescence and adulthood.
His mother, Mimi Tan, said she approached the school principal for assistance on getting him into the Special Olympics' swimming programme because she thought sports would help with his hyperactivity.
She said: "Because his energy is being channelled to sports, it helped to calm him down and helped him to focus."
Benson Tan took to swimming like a duck to water and even progressed to swimming competitively. He won gold at the 7th ASEAN Para Games last year - even setting a new meet record in the 100-metre freestyle event.
He now trains twice a day with the aim of securing a spot in the ASEAN Para Games in December this year.
Fourteen-year-old bowler Noah Tan was also born with intellectual disability.
His mother, Rosyniah Wang, said: "He was diagnosed with autism when he was twoand-a-half years old. He wasn't responding to my call when I called his name 'Noah'. There was no eye contact and he kept to himself.
"I knew that something was not right with him so I sent him to his paediatrician. He wasn't verbal until he was five so he faced a lot of challenges because there are behaviour problems, meltdowns, communication problems, all of which, impaired social skills and interaction."
Madam Wang enrolled Noah in bowling even though she was not confident he would enjoy the sport.
"He was running about when he started," she explained. "After a year-plus, he made progress. He was able to sit still and wait for his turn and he was not upset if he didn't win the game or when his ball went to the gutter."
Noah did well enough to win the silver medal in the Special Olympics Singapore competition last year. He is now setting his sights on bigger competitions like the Special Olympics World Games.
For these athletes, their mothers have always been at the centre of their lives - for both emotional support and development. And to their mothers, there is no better reward than seeing their children overcome the odds.
"I am very proud of his achievements,"
Mimi Tan shared. Madam Wang said: "(Noah) has come a long way. He made tremendous progress, partly because of the people that supported him through their love - teachers, coaches, family members - and their patience and care, and their 'never give up' spirit for him."
Source: Yeo, K. T. (2015, May 11). Mothers' support drives para-athletes' success. CHANNEL NEWS ASIA. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/mothers-support-drives/1838014.html?cx_tag=similar#cxrecs_s
1. Examine ten (10) challenges faced by Benson Tan based on the physical (motor), cognitive and/or affective characteristics of his disability.
2. Examine fifteen (15) challenges faced by Noah Tan based on the physical (motor), cognitive and/or affective characteristics of his disability.
3. Plan and implement five (5) instructional strategies that may benefit Benson Tan's swimming lessons.
4. Propose five (5) interactive strategies that Noah Tan's PE teacher may adopt to encourage physical activity participation other than bowling.
5. Recommend ten (10) educational organisations, community agencies, resources or related services suitable to meet the needs of Noah Tan.
Section B - Interpret the history of Adapted Physical Education (APE). Review on the prevailing issues and trends of APE in Singapore. Identify gap(s) of existing APE practices and prepare suggestion(s) on how to implement safe learning environments and appropriate learning experiences. Recommend which local organisations or services could promote APE. Support your views based on findings in the associated literature with necessary citations.