Class D

This is an older (about 11 -12 years old) and larger primary class who are also PE skills, however on a wednesday they go outside to the playground to play different sports with the other PE teacher, PE teacher B. A majority of the class are physically able though most of them had trouble with autonomic responses such as reaction time and coordination. Most of the cognition in these pupils seems reasonably sound and most can articulate sentences at a fair pace, however their behaviour is the challenging aspect, struggling to understand very particular concepts and rules.

Pupil 1 of this class has cerebral palsy and wears a blue helmet on his head at all times in case he falls over. He is able to walk independently and at a good pace, but it is clear that his motor functions are not finely tuned as his balance and coordination tends to be extremely poor; he cannot jump properly, he struggles to touch the floor standing up, and getting up from the floor he usually requires assistance. He can articulate a sentence but it takes him a while, and his words can slur and are generally less audible than the other students. He struggles to run and catch things but he is capable of listening and following instructions.

The second pupil I feel worth mentioning (Pupil 2) also has cerebral palsy, though he is more coordinated and more articulate than Pupil 1. Pupils 2’s knees bend inwards so when he runs he struggles to keep his balance, but he is able to do so. What concerns me about this student are the adductor muscles in his legs and whether adaptive shortening may take place there and potentially pose a risk to his knee joints. Furthermore, if adaptive shortening does occur then other postural muscles may well attempt to compensate in order to achieve successful locomotive patterns via shortening or lengthening accordingly; this is when core muscles could be at high risk to pulls and injuries.