Context

This Year 8 PE lesson is designed for 10 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), working approximately two years below their age-related expectations. The lesson is tailored to be sensory-friendly, structured, and inclusive, employing clear instructions and visual aids, aligning with the National Curriculum for England’s key concepts related to health, fitness, and physical wellbeing.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the 45-minute session, students will:

• Understand what it means to keep fit in simple terms linked to their wellbeing and daily life.
• Identify at least two ways they can keep themselves physically fit.
• Recognise why keeping fit is important for their health, linking to mental/emotional wellbeing.
• Engage in movement activities that promote fitness in an accessible, enjoyable way.

National Curriculum Links:

• Key Stage 3 Physical Education Programme of Study – "develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities" and "continue to take part regularly in sustained physical activity".
• Promote "a healthy, active lifestyle" with knowledge about benefits of physical activity on health-related fitness.

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Resources

• Visual aids/posters showing simple fitness activities (e.g., walking, stretching, simple games)
• Equipment: mats, light cones for marking space, soft balls
• Timer or stopwatch
• Whiteboard and markers for visual cues and vocabulary
• Reward stickers or tokens for motivation

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Lesson Breakdown

Starter (5 minutes)

• Welcome and sensory timeout check: quick breathing and stretching exercise to calm and prepare.
• Introduce the topic with visuals: show pictures of people doing different activities (walking, dancing, playing football).
• Discuss briefly: “What does being fit mean to you?” Use picture communication symbols or simple sentence prompts. Encourage any verbal or non-verbal responses.

Main Activity 1: Understanding Fitness (10 minutes)

• Explain in simple terms: “Keeping fit means moving your body to keep it strong and healthy.”
• Use a matching card activity: match pictures of activities to words (e.g., walking, stretching, running, jumping).
• Group discussion: Why do we keep fit? Emphasise that it helps us feel good, keeps our heart healthy, and helps us do daily activities easier. Use simple yes/no and multiple-choice questions to check understanding.

Main Activity 2: Movement Exploration (20 minutes)

• Set up a circuit of 4 simple fitness stations:

1. Step-ups on a low platform or step sideways.
2. Gentle ball throwing and catching using soft balls.
3. Stretch and reach exercises with mats on the floor.
4. Walking around a marked path or cones.

• Students rotate every 4-5 minutes with visual and verbal instructions at each station. Adapt difficulty for individual needs (e.g., seated options available).
• Staff to provide consistent positive feedback and help with transitions.

Plenary and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Sit in a circle, use a feelings chart: “How do you feel after moving your body?”
• Review key vocabulary with flashcards: fitness, strong, healthy, move.
• Ask students to name one way they can stay fit outside of school. Reward all contributions with stickers or tokens.
• Explain briefly what will be covered next lesson (building on different ways to keep fit).

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Assessment and Adaptations

• Formative assessment through observation: engagement level, ability to follow instructions and respond.
• Use of communication aids tailored to individual needs ensures every student expresses understanding.
• Where students are non-verbal, monitor signs of enjoyment or fatigue via body language.
• Differentiation includes simplified instructions, additional processing time, and repetition.

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Reflection for Teachers

This lesson is flexible to sensory needs and fosters a positive attitude toward fitness. Prioritising clear routines and visual support helps ASD learners access the curriculum goals in a way meaningful to them. Consider pairing students for peer support in future lessons.

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Government Advice Critique

Context

This lesson educates students experiencing ASD about the challenges or limitations of standard government health and fitness advice. The approach is sensory-sensitive, concrete, and uses personalised examples.

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Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Identify simple government advice on physical activity (e.g., “30 minutes a day”).
• Understand why generic advice may not work the same for everyone.
• Begin to explain, with support, how their own needs might differ from standard guidance.

National Curriculum Links:

• Understanding factors that influence individual health and wellbeing.
• Recognising that physical, social, emotional, and mental wellbeing affect fitness.

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Summary for Additional Lessons

Here is a brief structure to accompany the other four lessons along the unit, focusing on the teacher’s requested themes, tailored for ASD learners working two years below age expectations:

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Fitness Programmes Overview

• Explore different types of fitness activities (aerobic, strength, flexibility) using concrete examples and sensory-friendly tasks.
• Include simple videos or demonstrations with pauses, enabling comprehension and note-taking with pictures.

Adaptation of Fitness Programmes

• Discuss why people might need different exercises (age, ability, likes).
• Group work: design a personalised “fitness plan” using pictures, symbols, and choice boards.

Practical Adapted Fitness

• Student-led mini-sessions where they try adapted exercises, reinforcing autonomy and understanding of personal fitness needs.

Review and Goal Setting

• Reflective session: what fitness means for their daily lives.
• Use simple scales or visual aids for students to set achievable personal fitness goals.

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If you would like me to generate the full detailed plans for these five remaining lessons please let me know!