OVERVIEW

Adapted Physical Activity (APA / AFA) is a non-medical exercise program designed for individuals with disabilities, mobility impairments, or stabilized chronic conditions. It modifies environments, equipment, and regulations to enhance psychophysical well-being, prevent sedentary lifestyles, and maintain personal independence.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The educational objectives of the teaching are to deepen the effects of adapted physical activity in individuals with disabilities and to develop the ability to design individualized adapted physical activity programs.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Educational and Motor Objectives

• Prevention of Disuse: Reduce sedentary behavior caused by medical conditions or disabilities.
• Muscle Strengthening: Reinforce deficient muscle groups and core/stabilizing muscles.
• Balance and Proprioception: Prevent fall risks in both domestic and social environments.
• Inclusion: Foster social interaction and cooperation within the working group.

TEACHING METHODS

1. Laboratory Teaching and Guided Practice (Experiential Learning)

• Disability Simulation: Students experience architectural barriers and biomechanical limitations firsthand. They use assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs, blindfolds for visual impairment, joint limiters) to deeply understand the physical and psychological sensations of an adapted athlete during exercise.
• Classroom Co-design: Students work in small groups to analyze real or mock clinical-functional case studies. The task consists of programming a specific APA progression and defending their methodological choices before the instructor and peers.

2. Case Studies and Problem-Solving Methodology

• Analysis of Pathologies and Stabilized Conditions: The subject matter is taught starting from stabilized clinical cases (e.g., stroke outcomes, Parkinson's disease, Down syndrome, amputations). Students must identify residual capacities and risk factors (absolute and relative exercise contraindications).
• Resolving Teaching Unexpected Events: Simulation of critical scenarios during an APA session (e.g., refusal to cooperate by a cognitively impaired individual, premature fatigue, muscle spasms). Students learn real-time workload adjustment strategies (exercise scaling).

3. Clinical-Practical Internship and Mentoring (Fieldwork)

• Participant Observation: Students visit medical fitness centers, day centers, or affiliated associations. They initially observe APA protocols delivered by specialists before gradually transitioning to directly leading lesson segments under supervision.
• Group Management Practice: Learning management techniques for heterogeneous groups. Students learn how to position themselves in space to maintain visual control over all participants, and how to calibrate voice tone and lesson pacing.

Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, should contact the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department before class begins, in order to liaise and arrange the specific teaching methods so that the learning aims and outcomes may be met.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Entry Requirements and Target Audience

• Target Recipients: Individuals with stabilized disabilities (motor, intellectual, sensory) and reduced functional capacity.
• Frequency: 2–3 weekly sessions lasting 45–60 minutes each.
• General Objective: Counteract sedentary behavior, maintain remaining functional independence, and promote socialization.

Lesson Contents and Structure

1. Mobility and Flexibility Area (Warm-up and Cool-down Phases)
   • Contents: Segmental joint mobility exercises (neck, shoulders, wrists, ankles).
   • Methods: Guided bodyweight movements, executable from either a standing or seated position (chair or wheelchair).
   • Purpose: Prevent muscle-tendon stiffness and improve movement fluidity.
2. Strength and Endurance Area (Core Session)
   • Contents: Toning exercises for major muscle groups (upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk).
   • Methods: Use of calibrated light weights, resistance bands of varying tension, and adapted station-based circuit training.
   • Purpose: Strengthen stabilizing muscles to facilitate daily postural transitions (e.g., rising from a chair).
3. Balance and Coordination Area (Core Session)
   • Contents: Proprioception exercises, controlled spatial movements, and dual-task motor actions (eye-hand and eye-foot coordination).
   • Methods: Pathways with secure physical support, use of colored visual targets, and stable/unstable surfaces.
   • Purpose: Prevent fall risks and increase safety during independent ambulation.
4. Respiratory and Relaxation Area (Cool-down Phase)
   • Contents: Guided diaphragmatic breathing techniques and global muscle stretching (passive or assisted).
   • Methods: Tension-release techniques performed in positions of maximum comfort.
   • Purpose: Return to a resting state, manage fatigue, and monitor perceived exertion (Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Panella L., Attività fisica adattata. Strategie di contrasto alla cronicità, Ed. Ermes.

Marin L. (a cura di), Attività Motoria Adattata. Dalla teoria alla pratica (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2), Calzetti & Mariucci Ed.

Franchi A., Attività fisica adattata. La ginnastica nella disabilità, Edizioni ETS.

Drabeni M., Eid L., L'attività fisica adattata per disabili. Prospettive della realtà italiana ed europea, Ed. Libreria dello Sport.

Vicari P., Attività fisica adattata. Buone prassi per l'inclusione, G. D'Anna Casa Ed.

Salvetti M.C., Sport in gioco. Strumenti per una didattica inclusiva, Mondadori Scuola.

Calamai M., Uno sguardo verso l'alto. Un progetto di pallacanestro sperimentale con ragazzi disabili, Franco Angeli.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

EMILIO GRASSO (President)

LUCA PUCE (President and Coordinator of Integrated Course)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

2nd semester, March.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral Examination (discussion and transversal competencies)
Evaluates methodological, relational, and project-design skills.

• Project Work Discussion (if applicable): Presentation of a comprehensive APA template or an IEP (Individualized Education Program) developed by the student during the academic year or internship.
• Evaluation of Soft Skills and Communication:
  • Accurate use of scientific and inclusive terminology.
  • Ability to apply studied teaching strategies (e.g., Task Analysis, augmentative visual communication).
  • Management of psychological aspects (handling exercise refusal, maintaining motivation, user performance anxiety).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Case Study Analysis (Problem-Based Learning): during laboratory hours, students work in groups to solve real or mock cases (e.g., designing an APA program for an individual with Ataxia or Down syndrome). The evaluation focuses on the student's capacity for co-design.