K400 Individualized Physical Activity Program Report (Centre County Special Olympics-Swimming) Name: Matt Arentz, PSU PHETE

student Athlete Name: Trevor Practicum Date: 2/24/13 - 4/21/13 Description of Student/Disability: Trevor is a thirty-eight year old male athlete who has been swimming for the Centre County Special Olympics for a few years now. Trevor is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. He is very respectful and mindful of others, has great manners, and is very appreciative of the help he receives from others. At a swim meet at Penn State Altoona I had a chance to briefly meet Trevors parents, and I could instantly tell he comes from a loving and supportive family. Trevor has the physical ability to swim long distance events but often doubts his own ability to do so. I was told a previous volunteer had been trying to help Trevor train to swim the 100M freestyle for a swim meet (his longest event in the past was a 50M freestyle), but the Altoona meet I was at was the first time he swam the 100M competitively. Although I had seen Trevor swim a 100M in practice on five or six different occasions, he was very nervous to swim it before the competition. He went on to finish and although he did not win the event, he did phenomenally and was extremely proud of himself, as was I. Trevor is a very hard worker with a great attitude and has an overall easy going but determined personality. I was not made aware of Trevors disability when I began working with him, and I did not feel comfortable asking him or his parents. I actually did not find out what it is until after I had run him through my lesson on Sunday, 4/21/13. To the knowledge of my supervisor and other volunteers, Trevor does not have any kind of diagnosed disability outside of some developmental and cognitive delays. He is fairly short in stature and has undergone a few surgeries to correct spinal problems and some other type of physical set back, possibly a strangulated hernia. Trevor also speaks with a fairly sever stutter and sometimes takes a little bit longer to process directions and information. Major causes of developmental delays include genetic and environmental influences. Genetic influences are often derived from biological parents and are the cause of developmental delays fifteen to twenty-five percent of the time. Environmental influences, such as accidents, Arentz, M. Kines400, IPAP. 4/25/13

illnesses, exposure to toxins, etc. account for seventy-five to eighty-five percent of developmental delays (http://www.education.com/reference/article/possible-causesdevelopmental-delays/). Developmental delays are generally more prevalent in non-Hispanic and African American males rather than females of the same ethnicities. As of 2008, approximately one in six children in the United States had some form of developmental delay (http://spedpro.org/2011/06/28/prevalence-of-developmental-disorders/). Developmental delays can be caught and treated if they are recognized and attended to early in a childs life. If they are not caught early, educational gaps can arise, often amplified by poorly trained teachers. Developmental delays can cause children to need more time to comprehend information and directions, which can lead to their falling behind the progression of peers (http://www.ehow.com/info_8500206_long-term-effects-developmental-delay.html). General Goals: 1. Improve cardiovascular endurance in the pool. 2. Gain self-confidence. 3. Regulate proper pace while swimming. Present Level of Performance: Trevor can easily complete the 25M, 50M, and 100M freestyle. For longer races (the 100M and thoughts of the 200M), his self-confidence declines. Although he has swam the 100M many times, he often worries about his safety and inability to finish the event. Before he begins swimming, I often encourage him and tell him he will do great, citing previous instances where he did very well. This always seems to help, and once he is finished he is very enthusiastic and proud of himself. One thing I notice while watching Trevor swim is that he swims at the same pace no matter how great or small of a distance he has to travel. He consistently swims at a slow pace, but I believe he has the ability to use pacing techniques to improve his time for shorter events as well as add longer events (such as the 200M) to his repertoire. Short-Term Objectives: A) Improve cardiovascular endurance in the pool. 1. Swim the 100M freestyle at a moderately quick pace. 2. Swim the 200M freestyle with 2-3 short breaks. 3. Swim the 200M freestyle with 1 short break. 4. Swim the 200M freestyle unbroken. B) Gain self-confidence. 1. Accept positive encouragement from others. Arentz, M. K400, IPAP, 4/25/13

2. Practice positive self-talk and visualization. 3. Acknowledge accomplishments before and after each swimming event. 4. Display confidence in self at all times in the pool area. C) Regulate proper pace while swimming. 1. Brainstorm pacing definitions and strategies. 2. Experiment with different paces during 50 and 100M freestyle swims. 3. Experiment with different paces during 200M freestyle swims. 4. Swim the 200M freestyle without someone else setting the proper pace. Special Equipment: Trevor does not require any special equipment while swimming. He wears goggles but does not need any kind of personal flotation device. He can enter and exit the pool safely by using the ladder, steps, or side wall. Equipment I would consider using would be ProFlex Fins to help him better understand the concept of pacing, and an Ultrak 310 Stopwatch to help me get a more accurate start and finish time when recording his events. I like the ProFlex Fins because they have vented blades which increase thrust and reduce joint stress. ProFlex Fins: GOPHER pg. 403 Ultrak 310 Stopwatch: GOPHER pg. 370 Description of Activity: Trevor did so well swimming the 100M freestyle at the Altoona swim meet that I would like to offer to help him train to swim the 200M freestyle. I ran the idea by Trevor after the meet and told him I sincerely think he would be able to do it. He said if I think he can do it then he would train with me. I ran the idea by his parents and my supervisor and they all agreed if Trevor wanted to do it then we should make it happen! For my activity I plan to help Trevor swim the 200M freestyle by discussing and working on pacing techniques while building up to the 200M from a 100M baseline. With proper scheduling and no hitches we will look to attempt the 200M freestyle at practice on Sunday, April 21! Reflection on Activity: Trevor absolutely killed the 200M freestyle! I could not be more proud of or happy for him. The second he walked into the pool area for practice the day of the 200M I went up to him and started encouraging him. He seemed to respond extremely well to this, and although nervous, he was very eager to get started. Arentz, M. K400. IPAP, 4/25/13

I started the practice by going over our plan for the day. I reviewed pacing strategies with him, and then explained that we would be stretching and swimming one very slow 50M freestyle to get our muscles warmed up and ready for the 200M. I made sure to remind and ensure that the warm up would need to be done slowly so that he was not tired for the 200M. That reassurance seemed to further his comfortability. After we were both stretched out and warmed up, I provided Trevor with three options. He could swim with me walking beside him at the side of the pool helping to set the pace, he could swim with me swimming with him in the same lane, or he could swim solo. He chose option two and I was ready and eager to get back into the pool with him. After a few more words of encouragement, I counted us down and he and I began to swim the 200M freestyle. I wanted him to set his own pace but was not hesitant to slow him down if I felt he was swimming too fast. I ended up doing the sidestroke so I could communicate, instruct, and encourage better during the swim. Trevor seemed confident throughout the entire experience and finished with flying colorsunder nine minutes! Throughout the 200M and especially on the final laps, I kept reminding him how great he was doing and that everyone was cheering him on. Once we were finished he was all smiles even while trying to catch his breath. Lots of high-fives and a few hugs later and I sat down at the edge of the pool to reflect on the swim with Trevor. He was extremely proud of himself and happy that he was able to do it. He also thanked me many times for helping him and I told him he should thank himself for believing he could do it and going for it. We decided that I will keep coming to practices to help him train to eventually swim the 200M freestyle competitively.

Arentz, M. K400. IPAP, 4/25/13