PALAESTRA Issue Contents, Vol. 19 No. 1

Can't Walk? So...Go Dancing!
Author Judy Kimmons and partner Dale Watts demonstrate "Adaptive Dancing," a graceful and flowing style of dance for persons in wheelchairs and walkers. The man always leads, whether he is the "walker" or the "wheeler." Learn the fundamentals in Part 1 of this series on wheelchair dance.
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The Autism Spectrum Disorders: Activity Selection, Assessment, and Program Organization - Part II
This is the second article by Greg Reid and John O'Connor in a four-part series concerning the autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of this series is to help practicing professionals and volunteers design effective and positive physical activity programs consistent with current knowledge of autism. In this article, the authors offer suggestions regarding activity selection, assessment, and organization.
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Liability Considerations for Placement of Students with Disabilities in
General Physical Education Classes
This article, by Peter M. Aufsesser, examines liability parameters that should be considered carefully prior to placing individuals with disabilities in any physical activity setting, including general physical education. The premise of this article is that any placement should be predicated on the setting being safe for all students, both non-disabled and disabled, as well as providing environments where all students can succeed.
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Causes and Suggested Preventatives For Injuries to
Monoskiers
As in any sport, injuries occur in people with disabilities who snow ski. For anyone in sport of any type, conditioning of muscles is important to increase performance and reduce chances of injuries. For monoskiers with disabilities, this need is even greater, since there are inherent limitations in movements of joints and muscle strength due to paralysis. Author Jerrold Petrofsky covers types of conditioning exercises and stretching to improve those areas of the body susceptible to injuries due to the unique biomechanics of monoskiing.

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Reasonable Accommodations for Swimmers with Disabilities -
A Perspective
The November 2002 issue of "Swimming World" featured an article by John Lohn about Hunter Scott, a 14-year-old boy with a left leg above-knee amputation. The article focused on the Scott family's legal action under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the right to use a swim fin in competition. Hunter competes in a summer league where competition is conducted under USA Swimming rules which do not permit the use of assistive devices. Author Gail M. Dummer offers her perspective on swim fins and other assistive devices in competition.