SPECIAL EXERCISES
Fitness puts life skills kids on right track
By SHARON KERR
"When my feet move, so do my thoughts." - Thoreau

THERE'S NO REASON why our students can't participate in fitness, except no one's ever expected it of them, according to JISD special education coordinator Kathy Hammers. At left, Dacia Clursky twists to improve flexibility, and at right, Bily Lee is in high gear and shouting "no hands." Newsboy photos/ Sharon Kerr

Physical fitness, a routine of exercise that includes walking, stretching and strength straining, is important to everyone's health.

Yet fitness is often overlooked by schools and parents when it comes to special needs students. When there is so much to deal with- learning disabilities, physical handicaps and emotional p ro b l e m s - s h o u l d physical education be a priority?

"Ye s , " s a y s K a t h y

Hammers, special education coordinator at Jasper Junior High School. "When these kids get into a fitness routine, benefits are obvious and immediate."

"There's no medical reason why these students can't participate in physical activity, except that no one has ever expected it of them," Hammers said.

By the time some of her life skills students reach high school, they are eligible to be placed in job co-op programs like stocking a grocery store or cleaning.

"But they don't have the strength or stamina for work like that," Hammers said. "Endurance is important to their future ability to hold a job and maybe achieve independence."

Courageous Pacers is a program developed by physical therapist Tim Erson for life skills teachers who wanted an exercise program. Their kids often cannot participate in regular PE classes.

Jasper Independent School District is using variations on the Courageous Pacers program at all campuses, according to physical and occupational therapist Louise Rice, who rotates between all the schools.

"In Canada, they did studies to compare students who did physical activities with those who did none. They found the academ i c s c o re s w e r e much b e t - ter in t h e group who

exercised," according to Rice.

The program aims to create "roads" scholars in the inclusive and special needs classrooms. Students follow a plan tailor-made to their abilities. It builds flexibility, strength and endurance. By the end of a school year, each student will have lifted 10,000 pounds and walked 100 miles.

Newsboy photo/ Sharon Kerr EXERCISING TO THE MUSIC is a great leveller. High energy students like Brandon Simms (right) settle down after a workout, and students like Shana Campbell are stimulated for the lessons to follow.

Rice encourages students to design their own exercise routines and chart their progress. The plan incurs minimal expense to the school. For weight training, students use 16-ounce plastic bottles filled with water and decorated for fun.

From the Courageous Pacers book, they select five lifting exercises and do 10 repetitions for each exercise at least three times a week. By the end of the year, that's 10,000 pounds and a stronger, healthier child, according to Rice.

They also walk a measured course and record the distance. It's good practice for counting, saying ABC's, or practicing other rote learning, such as naming planets, months of the year or days of the week. For students who can't count they issue tokens or monopoly money, so they can keep up with their laps and tally results on a chart. The goal is 100 miles. Students with limited mobility like Jordan Jackson, who has cerebral palsy, get their "walking" in two ways. Sometimes Jackson does aerobic exercises with her arms, like batting a balloon.

"It's fun," Jordan says, "and it makes me stronger." Minutes count toward miles.

Also, Jordan is serving as an office aide this year. Although getting up from her wheelchair and using a walker is a struggle, she gets it done. Jackson and Rice measured the distance to deliver papers, and each trip counts toward her goal.

Before JISD adopted the Courageous Pacers program, Hammers had already started what she calls her "mini- Curves." She has almost a dozen pieces of exercise equipment bought at garage sales and thrift stores or donated by parents.

At a recent workout, Brandon Simms, Byran Davis, Cassandra Sooley, Shana Campbell, Dacia Clursky, Alexandra Young, Billy Lee and Hannah Dickerson were working those machines hard. They also did a series of stretching and limbering exercises. Some students needed the help of aides, but everyone was moving and smiling.

Stacie Hanson, special education aide, says, "This is a positive change that will likely encourage people to view life skills students as learners and not just kids who are being kept by 'baby sitters'."

Pacers teaches the kids how to follow direction while doing activities they enjoy, helps them control energy levels and improves concentration, and gives lethargic students more energy for academic work that follows.

It's also something the whole family can do, Hammers points out. "People don't think about their disabled child doing fitness routines, but when they start, you see improvement in so many areas."

The kind of improvements reported in the Pacers program include non-verbal students who begin to communicate, and with energy dispersed, most students are better able to concentrate.

Social skills are built through teamwork. Students are taught the goal is not to see who is the strongest, fastest or best. It is for all participants to be winners. You can see they've taken this to heart when Brandon was helping Shana hold the handlebars on an exercise bike and cheering her on.

Hammers started out in Kirbyville schools for 10 years, and has now been in Jasper for 13. She says, "The greatest thing with life skills students is for them to feel good about what they can do. All our staff (at JJHS) go out of their way to notice and help our students. For instance, the cafeteria staff will always compliment the kids when they see improvements. This is so important because much of what is in these kids' heads is programmed."

She also said Jasper is fortunate to have programs like Pacers and the job co-op program.

"I hope as time goes by there will be more opportunities for students to do things like this. Some stores have wanted to hire students when they graduated. It's quite something for a small town like this to have a work program," Hammers said.

Courageous Pacers was funded through a JISD Give A Gift grant. Although the materials needed are minimal, The grant allowed them to purchase t-shirts and trophies for those who complete the program.