PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND GENERAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN GERMANY

Abstract

This article will present an overview concerning the development and the current status of special education services in Germany. This description will differentiate between physical education programs for students with a disability attending a special education school for their specific type of disability, and for those attending a general school together with students without a disability. Extracurricular physical activity programs are classified separately in the special education system in Germany. Due to the heterogeneity within a specific type of disability as well as between students with and without a disability, concepts for designing physical activity and sport programs for various types of disabilities in Germany are oriented on the primacy of a " pedagogy of diversity " (Prengel, 2006), which is particularly reflected in the qualification of physical education teachers. This individualized orientation coincides with the paradigm change in working with people with disabilities – from a deficit to a resource point of view.