Accommodations for Gym class

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My son recently sat out of an entire unit in gym (flag football) because he couldn't manage the combination of sensory/social issues involved. He really needs the physical activity, so I don't want this to become a habit, and am trying to find a way to make it possible for him to participate within reason.

I was wondering if any of you have found accommodations that work in a phys-ed environment that won't make him stand out too much. For instance, I was thinking that if he wore earplugs, maybe the noise wouldn't bother him so much - and having one stressor reduced might help him deal with the other ones better. Do any of you have experience with earplugs? Would they be safe in gym class?

Any other ideas to reduce the sensory overload? (or the social stuff, for that matter - but I recognize that that is a longer and harder road)

We had an accommodation of earplugs for PE but it didn't really help that much. There is such a large part of PE (not just sensory) that is very difficult for my daughter. She still hates PE and I have never found a reasonable solution to this. At the end of last year I finally had to get firm with a less-than sensitive PE coach and wrote a note about not making my daughter participate if she was visibly agitated, which was so much of the time. My daughter has low muscle tone and the loose joints that made some things more difficult/strenuous than typical PE should be. I always encouraged them to let her start the exercises but do an abbreviated set if she became upset.

It's a fine line between letting them out of some healthy exercise and pushing them too far beyond their capabilities to manage the chaos and overload.

I would think a better accommodation might be to give him a "job" in PE class that gets him out of the pileup of kids but doesn't make him lose exercise-something like getting the balls or being the goalie (that doesn't exist in football does it?), referee, line marker, or something similar. I am sure there is something that could be done to lessen the burdens on him during the class.

There was a post about PE not too long ago and most posters were for exemptions from PE. You can make sure he gets enough exercise in a less intense environment, if necessary.

Thanks - good to know the earplugs were at least possible, if not helpful. DS fortunately has excellent muscle tone and is no longer as clumsy as he used to be...and the PE teachers are pretty supportive, so I'd like to make a go of it (except for football, which seems to be a write-off) We do swimming and a circus arts class outside of school, but the PE program where we are is actually very, very good and seems to be helping him in many ways.

Some students are able to get adaptive PE, but I don't know what the criteria are for eligibility. If a child can't properly access the PE class without SDI's (specially designed instructions) or accommodations, it should be treated like any other subject, and the proper modifications should be made. Call an IEP meeting, if necessary, and add new goals related to the PE class, along with the necessary modifications to help your child access appropriate physical education. Free appropriate education is not limited to academic subjects - if modifications are needed in PE, art, music, etc., they are needed, and your child is entitled to them.