Carlos F. Cuebas García

Carlos F. Cuebas García is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Kinesiology. He is working with Dr. Luis Columna at the Promotion of Health Equity & Adapted Physical Activity (PHEAPA) Lab, which focuses on addressing the physical activity needs of individuals with disabilities and their family members.

He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez with a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education and another with an emphasis in Coaching and Officiating. He also did a curricular sequence in Adapted Physical Education, where he found his passion, teaching individuals with disabilities physical activity.

In the future, he plans to bring interventions and programs like the ones in the PHEAPA Lab to the place he calls home (Puerto Rico), where there is a need for them.

In Progress

1. Concepción, J.L., Cuebas Garcia, C., Shree Yadav, T., Swarup, G., Barquero, M., Schaefer, D., Ku, B., Meyer, J., and Columna, L. Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a 10-Week Supervised Physical Activity Program for Mothers of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

2. Prieto, L, Cuebas Garcia, C., Montañez, N., Concepción, J.L., Barry, A., Swarup, G., Columna L, A Feasibility Trial of a Community-based Dance Class for Latino Older Adults

3. Cuebas Garcia, C., Concepción, J.L., Columna L, The Impact of Equipment and Resources in a Physical Activity Intervention for Autistic Children: Parental Perceptions

Abstracts

1. Laura Prieto, Carlos Cuebas Garcia, Luis Columna, Anne Mortensen, Kristen A. Pickett, Emily Neils, Jessica Diedrich; Barriers to Physical Activity Participation of Latino People With Parkinson Disease & Their Care Partners Calls for an Occupation-Focused Approach. Am J Occup Ther August 2025, Vol. 79(Supplement_2), 7911500343p1. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.79S2-PO331

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

International Presentations

1. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Justin Haegele PhD, Kristen Pickett PhD, Margarita Fernández-Vivó PhD and Luis Columna PhD (July 2026), Physical Education Experiences of Autistic Puerto Rican Teens, Presented at the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity, Hawaii, USA

2. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Justin Haegele PhD, Kristen Pickett PhD, Margarita Fernández-Vivó PhD and Luis Columna PhD (June 2026), Physical Education Experiences of Autistic Puerto Rican Teens, Presented at the European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity, Prague, Czech Republic

3. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Laura Prieto PhD and Luis Columna PhD (November 2024). Experiencia significativa Programa FIT FAMILIES, Presented at the II Seminario Internacional Actividad Física Adaptada, Manizales, Colombia

4. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Justin Haegele PhD, Kristen Pickett PhD, Margarita Fernández-Vivó PhD and Luis Columna PhD (September 2024). Latino/Latina Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Experiences Regarding Physical Education, Presented at the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity, Ithaca, NY.

5. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Camila Arroyo, Ashlyn Barry MS, Gayatri Swarup MS, Laura Prieto PhD, Benazir Meera PhD, & Luis Columna PhD (June 2024). The Impact of Equipment and Resources in a Physical Activity Intervention for Autistic Children: Parental Perceptions, Presented at the European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity, Sevilla, Spain.

National Presentations

1. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Justin Haegele PhD, Kristen Pickett PhD, Margarita Fernández-Vivó PhD and Luis Columna PhD (September 2024). Latino/Latina Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Experiences Regarding Physical Education, Presented at the Ohio State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison Adapted Physical Activity 4th Consortium

2. Cuebas García, Carlos F., Luis Columna PhD (August 2022). Fit Families: A Randomized Parent-Mediated Physical Activity Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Puerto Rico, Presented at the Summer Education Research Poster Symposium. Madison, WI.

3. Prieto, L., Cuebas Garcia, C., Diedrich, J., Neils, E., Columna, L., Mortensen, A., Pickett, K., (April 2025). Barriers to Physical Activity Participation of Latino People with Parkinson’s Disease and their Care Partners Calls for an Occupation-Focused Approach. American Occupational Therapy Association. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.79S2-PO331