Adapted Physical Education Specialists
Adapted Physical Education Specialists is the O*NET name for people who provide individualized physical education instruction or services to children, youth, or adults with exceptional physical needs due to gross motor developmental delays or other impairments. The skills rated most useful are instructing, speaking, and social perceptiveness. One core duty is to provide adapted physical education services to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, or other disabling condition. Interest ratings put Social on top at 7.0 out of 7 and Conventional second, so the code is SCR and the day leans toward helping, teaching or caring for people. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
Provide individualized physical education instruction or services to children, youth, or adults with exceptional physical needs due to gross motor developmental delays or other impairments.
Main tasks
- Provide adapted physical education services to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, or other disabling condition.
- Provide students positive feedback to encourage them and help them develop an appreciation for physical education.
- Provide individual or small groups of students with adapted physical education instruction that meets desired physical needs or goals.
- Instruct students, using adapted physical education techniques, to improve physical fitness, gross motor skills, perceptual motor skills, or sports and game achievement.
- Write reports to summarize student performance, social growth, or physical development.
- Evaluate the motor needs of individual students to determine their need for adapted physical education services.
Skills
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Learning Strategies
- Active Listening
- Writing
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on instructing and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.9 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SCR takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Also called
- Adapted Aquatics Instructor
- Adapted Physical Activity Specialist
- Adapted Physical Educator
- APE Consultant (Adapted Physical Education Consultant)
- APE Instructional Specialist (Adapted Physical Education Instructional Specialist)
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.