---
title: "Kinesiology"
chunk: 5/5
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesiology"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:55:28.914113+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

It is possible to find numerous sports science journals with research papers on adapted sport, while those specific to APA are lesser. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (APAQ) is the only AFA-specific journal indexed in the Journal Citation Reports Index, appearing in both the Sport Sciences and Rehabilitation directories, which is another example of its interdisciplinarity (Impact Score 2020-2021 = 2.61) (Pérez et al., 2012). Additionally, the European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity (EUJAPA) is another international, multidisciplinary journal introduced to communicate, share and stimulate academic inquiry focusing on APA of persons with disabilities, appearing in the Education directories of Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR).
Regarding the dissemination of scientific knowledge generated by the APA, the most relevant international events are described as follows:

International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA), organized by IFAPA on a biannual basis.
Vista conference, organized by the International Paralympic Committee on a biannual basis.
Paralympic Congress, organized by the International Paralympic Committee every four years.
European Conference on Adapted Physical Activity (EUCAPA), organized by European Federation in Adapted Physical Activity on a biannual basis.
North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (NAFAPA) Conference, organized by NAFAPA on a biannual basis.
South American Adapted Physical Activity Conference, organized by South American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity.

=== Adapted physical education ===

Adapted physical education is a sub-discipline of physical education with a focus on including students with disabilities into the subject. APE is the term used to refer to the physical education for individuals with disabilities that occurs primarily in elementary and secondary schools. According to Dunn and Leitschuh APE is defined as "Adapted physical education programs are those that have the same objectives as the regular physical education program but in which adjustments are made in the regular offerings to meet the needs and abilities of exceptional students". This education can be provided in separate educational settings as well as in general (regular) educational settings. APE is oriented to educate students to lifelong engagement in physical activities and to live a healthy lifestyle offering possibilities to exploit movements, games, and sports and at the same time personal development.
Goals and objectives of adapted and general physical education might be the same with some minor differences. For example, learning to push a wheelchair or play wheelchair basketball might be a goal for a child with a spinal cord injury, while running and playing regular basketball is a goal for a child with a disability. In other cases, a child with a disability might focus on fewer objectives or modified objectives within a domain (e.g., physical fitness) compared to peers without disabilities.

=== Parasport or disability sport ===

The APA in this field is oriented principally to the Parasports movement, which organises sports for and by people with disabilities. Examples of para-sports organizations include sports in the Paralympic Games, Special Olympics, Deaflympics as well as Invictus games to name a few. Many para-sports have eligibility criteria according to the characteristics of the participants. In the Paralympics Games, this is known as sport classification, a system that provides a framework for determining who can and who cannot participate according to the impact of the impairments on the outcome of the competition.
In the Special Olympics individuals eligible have to meet the following criteria

be at least 8 years old
have been identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays (as measured by formal assessment), or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require specially designed instruction.
Another sporting competition for people with intellectual impairments is the Virtus Games (formerly known as International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability. This is different from the Special Olympics. Eligibility is based on a master list of

II 1 Intellectual Disability
II 2 Significant Intellectual Disability
II 3 Austism
To be eligible to compete at the Deaflympics, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in the better ear.
The Invictus Games were designed to allow sport competitions between wounded, injured or sick servicemen and women (WIS). Therefore, only people in the military sectors can compete in the Invictus games.

=== Physical medicine and rehabilitation ===

The results from APA can help the practice of Physical medicine and rehabilitation, whereby the functional ability and quality of life is improved. Rehabilitation is helping the individual achieve the highest level of functioning, independence, participation, and quality of life possible. The APA and sport in rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities is particularly important and is associated with the legacy of the medical rehabilitation specialist Sir Ludwig Guttman who was the founder of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation, the basis of the actual Paralympic movement. APA and sports are strongly recommended in rehabilitation programs due to the positive impact and health benefits in people with different disabilities. The APA practitioner provides exercise and training regimens adapted for specific individual needs and works based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health of the World Health Organization, facilitating a common language with other rehabilitation professionals during the rehabilitation process.

== See also ==

== References ==

== External links ==
 The dictionary definition of kinesiology at Wiktionary