REACH ASD PE Screener — Book 1 Edition

How to use this screener: Observe your student with ASD during 2–3 typical PE sessions before completing this form. Rate each item based on what you regularly see — not a single good or bad day. This screener takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Use the generated summary to support conversations with your school's APE specialist, IEP team, or related service providers.

Student & Class Information

Student Name (or ID)

Date of Birth

Date of Observation

Grade Level

School Name

Your Name & Role

Student's Communication Style

Current PE Setup

RAT — REACH Rating Scale — Use This as Your Guide While Observing

Not Observed — not observed this session

Not Yet · Full Support — does not succeed without constant help

Emerging · Substantial Support — needs repeated prompting

Developing · Some Support — usually succeeds with a prompt or reminder

Proficient · Independent — performs this consistently on their own

REACH Observation 15 Items · 3 per Spoke

Rate the 3 items in each spoke. If you have not observed a behavior during PE, select NO (Not Observed). Brief notes are optional but help you remember what you saw.

Readiness

How prepared is the student to participate when PE begins?

— / 4.0

Transition to PE

Arrives at PE without major difficulty; transitions from classroom without crisis behavior

Routine Use

Benefits from and responds to predictable PE structure, visual schedules, or activity boards

Handles Unexpected Changes

Manages changes to activities, equipment, or schedule without shutting down or meltdown

Engagement

Does the student actively participate and stay involved in PE?

— / 4.0

Stays in the Activity

Participates for most of the PE period without withdrawing, wandering, or disengaging

Motivation for Movement

Shows interest in PE activities; responds to preferred activities or motivators

Self-Regulation

Manages their energy and emotional state during busy, loud, or unpredictable PE activities

Ability

How are the student's physical movement skills compared to peers?

— / 4.0

Locomotor Skills

Running, jumping, hopping, skipping — quality of movement compared to same-age peers

Object Control Skills

Catching, throwing, kicking, striking — often the most affected motor area in ASD; note what you observe

Copies Movement Demonstrations

Can watch a demonstration and copy it — a key teaching strategy for ASD; note if visual instruction works better than verbal

Communication

Can the student understand and express themselves during PE?

— / 4.0

Understands Demonstrated Instructions

Follows physical demonstrations and visual cues — often stronger than verbal directions in ASD

Asks for Help or a Break

Communicates needs in PE — requests help, signals a break, or asks for equipment (words, device, gesture, card)

Basic Social PE Communication

Takes turns, understands simple game rules, interacts minimally with peers during structured activities

Health & Safety

Is the student safe — and do you feel equipped to keep them safe?

— / 4.0

General Safety Awareness

Recognizes unsafe situations and avoids them; uses equipment without putting self or others at risk

Stays in the PE Space

Remains in the designated area; does not bolt, run toward exits, or leave without permission (elopement risk)

No Self-Harm or Injury-Risk Behaviors

No head-banging, biting, or other behaviors that could cause injury to self or others during PE

Sensory Quick Check 4 Domains

Does the gym environment itself seem to affect this student? Many students with ASD have sensory sensitivities that directly impact PE performance — separate from motor skill level.

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Sound Sensitivity

Gym echo, whistles, cheering, balls bouncing, music

✋

Touch & Equipment Sensitivity

Reactions to equipment textures, accidental peer contact, holding balls or jump ropes

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Movement & Balance

Reactions to spinning, balance tasks, uneven surfaces, fast direction changes — seeking or avoiding?

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Visual Overload

Reactions to bright lights, visual clutter, lots of students moving at once

Parent / Guardian Contact

Date of Contact Attempt

Method

Response / Outcome

Key Information from Parent (if shared)

Results appear in the Summary & Report tab · Print or save as PDF from your browser

For APE Specialists: Enter formal assessment scores below. Classification chips update automatically. Standardized assessment data integrates into the Summary & Report tab and supports legally defensible IEP recommendations.

Test of Gross Motor Development — 3rd Edition (TGMD-3)

Administered

Locomotor SS (mean=10, SD=3)

Ball Skills SS (mean=10, SD=3)

Total Motor Quotient

Percentile Rank

Notes / Behavioral Observations

Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency — 2nd/3rd Edition (BOT-2/3)

Administered

Total Motor Composite SS

Percentile Rank

Body Coordination SS

Strength & Agility SS

Notes / Behavioral Observations

Movement Assessment Battery for Children — 2nd Edition (Movement ABC-2)

Administered

Manual Dexterity SS (mean=10, SD=3)

Aiming & Catching SS

Balance SS

Total Test Score SS

Percentile Rank

Traffic Light Rating

Notes / Behavioral Observations

Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66 / GMFM-88)

Administered

Dimension D — Standing (%)

Dimension E — Walking/Running (%)

Total Score (%)

GMFCS Level (I–V)

Notes

School Function Assessment (SFA)

Administered

Participation Scale Score

Task Supports Scale Score

Activity Performance Score

Participation Level

PE/Transition Setting Included?

Notes / Functional Observations

Adapted Physical Education Assessment Scale — 2nd Edition (APEAS-II)

Administered

Motor Pattern SS (mean=100, SD=15)

Game Skills SS

Composite SS

Percentile Rank

Notes / Behavioral Observations

Community and Transition Physical Education Assessment (C-TAPE) — Transition-Age Students

Administered

C-TAPE is appropriate for transition-age students (ages 16–22). Performance levels: 1 = Not Yet Emerging, 2 = Emerging, 3 = Developing, 4 = Proficient.

Recreation & Leisure (1–4)

Community Access (1–4)

Physical Fitness (1–4)

Sport Skills (1–4)

Notes / Transition Goals Implications

Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT) — Health-Related Fitness for Youth with Disabilities

Administered

The Brockport is criterion-referenced. Select Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) or Needs Improvement (NI) for each assessed item.

Aerobic Capacity (PACER / Mile)

Upper Body Strength (Push-Up)

Core Strength (Curl-Up)

Flexibility (Trunk Lift / Sit-Reach)

Body Composition (Skinfold/BMI)

Target Population Used

Notes / Fitness Implications

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No report generated yet

Complete the REACH Observation tab and click Generate Summary & Report.

REACH Quick Profile

RAT — REACH Rating: 1.0 = Not Yet · Full Support · 2.0 = Emerging · Substantial Support · 3.0 = Developing · Some Support · 4.0 = Proficient · Independent · — = Not enough data

Recommendation

Key Areas to Watch

What You Can Do Right Now — Teacher Action Steps

APE Referral Checklist — When to Bring in a Specialist

An APE specialist can provide a full evaluation (using the REACH ASD Physical Education Profile), write legally defensible IEP goals, design individualized programs, and provide direct services.

Examiner & Signature

Observing Teacher / Examiner Name

Role / Title

School / District

Credentials (APE Specialist, if applicable)

Date of Report

Attestation: I attest that this screening was completed based on direct observation of the student named above during physical education, that the information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge, and that this document is intended for use by the IEP team as supporting documentation. This is a screening tool and does not constitute a formal evaluation or diagnosis.

Signature Date

Observing Teacher / Examiner

Signature Date

APE Specialist Reviewer (if applicable)

This screener was completed using the REACH ASD PE Screener — Book 1 Edition (McCarthy, T., 2026), aligned with the REACH Framework™ and SHAPE America 2024 National Physical Education Standards. This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. Findings should be shared with the student's IEP team and may support a referral for a formal APE evaluation. For a comprehensive assessment, request the REACH ASD Physical Education Profile.

Student: | Completed by: | Date: