CAPE Risk Management & Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An adapted PE teacher notices a student with cerebral palsy is using a wheelchair that has a loose footrest. What is the FIRST action the teacher should take?
- Document the issue and notify parents at the end of the day
- Remove the student from activity until the equipment is repaired or replaced (Correct answer)
- Allow the student to participate if they can hold their feet up
- Report the issue to administration in the weekly meeting
Correct answer: Remove the student from activity until the equipment is repaired or replaced
A loose footrest poses an immediate safety hazard; the student should not participate until the equipment is safe to use.
Question 2: Which federal law most directly governs the physical accessibility requirements for adapted PE facilities in public schools?
- IDEA 2004
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- No Child Left Behind Act
Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA establishes physical accessibility standards for public buildings including school facilities used for PE.
Question 3: During a swimming unit, a student with epilepsy has a seizure in the water. After ensuring the student's airway is clear and calling for help, what is the next priority?
- Begin CPR immediately
- Carefully support the student's head above water and move them to the pool wall (Correct answer)
- Remove all other students from the pool area first
- Document the seizure duration before providing any assistance
Correct answer: Carefully support the student's head above water and move them to the pool wall
During an aquatic seizure, supporting the head above water to prevent drowning is the immediate life-safety priority.
Question 4: A CAPE is designing a risk assessment for a new archery unit that will include students with visual impairments. Which control measure is MOST critical?
- Requiring all students to wear wrist guards
- Establishing a clearly defined shooting range with tactile boundaries and a verbal clear-range signal system (Correct answer)
- Limiting the unit to students with only mild visual impairment
- Requiring a parent chaperone for each student with a visual impairment
Correct answer: Establishing a clearly defined shooting range with tactile boundaries and a verbal clear-range signal system
Tactile boundaries and reliable verbal signals ensure students with visual impairments know safe zones and when it is safe to retrieve arrows.
Question 5: What does the term 'assumption of risk' mean in the context of adapted physical education?
- The teacher assumes all liability for student injuries
- A participant voluntarily engages in an activity knowing its inherent dangers (Correct answer)
- The school district assumes financial risk for all PE-related injuries
- A student with a disability assumes greater risk than peers without disabilities
Correct answer: A participant voluntarily engages in an activity knowing its inherent dangers
Assumption of risk is a legal concept where a participant knowingly accepts the inherent dangers of a voluntary activity.
Question 6: A student with autism spectrum disorder becomes dysregulated and begins to self-injure during an adapted PE class. Which risk mitigation strategy should have been established in the student's IEP BEFORE this situation occurred?
- A behavior intervention plan (BIP) outlining proactive supports and de-escalation procedures (Correct answer)
- A standing order to remove the student from PE permanently
- A policy requiring a 1:1 aide present only when the student is dysregulated
- A protocol requiring the student to complete a written behavior reflection
Correct answer: A behavior intervention plan (BIP) outlining proactive supports and de-escalation procedures
A behavior intervention plan (BIP) is the proactive IEP-based document that outlines strategies to prevent and respond to challenging behaviors.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a 'near miss' reporting system in an adapted PE program?
- To assign blame and discipline staff after incidents
- To document events where an injury almost occurred in order to prevent future incidents (Correct answer)
- To satisfy insurance requirements without improving safety practices
- To track student behavioral incidents for disciplinary purposes
Correct answer: To document events where an injury almost occurred in order to prevent future incidents
Near miss reporting captures events where harm almost occurred, enabling proactive identification and correction of hazards before an actual injury happens.
CAPE Risk Management & Mitigation 2
An adapted PE teacher notices a student with cerebral palsy is using a wheelchair that has a loose footrest.
What is the FIRST action the teacher should take?