I can bike/ I can shine

[waverly]

Anyone do the I can bike program?  DS can actually ride his bike, but he gets tired easily and still has his training wheels on the bike.  He has some issues (hip, ankle)  that are being corrected in PT, but when I have him work on his stationary bike, I can still see the one leg is pretty loose and the knee goes in.  He just turned 7.

Although he has a disability, it seems like the camp might be more for kids with autism and Down syndrome?  Also, he won't be 8 by the time it starts.  It is in June, and he turns 8 in October.  The PT suggested asking if he could start earlier, but they might not bend.  So I might need to find something else.  

Is there other bike riding schools out there?  He would do OK with a non special needs program as long as they were patient, which as teachers they should be. Also, he needs help with scootering, but he doesn't seem to like his scooter, so I don't really see that as a big deal.  Some of the stuff she is doing in PT and OT seem like it would help with it, but she doesn't actually get him on a bike or scooter to see the issue.  It looks like all the private schools have closed their classes for the winter.  But I could look again in April, maybe. 

This information was told to his ortho, and he will be going to a foot doctor for orthotics in case the foot is part of the root cause.  PT seems to be helping/ going well, but I don't know what to do about the loose leg/ knee while he is cycling.  I'm going to ask her at the next appointment, but I don't see a bike there to put him on to demonstrate it.  I asked her a lot at the last appointment, so I forgot this one.

For anyone keeping track, his ankles are starting to get much better.  

[auntie]

We didn't do I Can Shine, but I know others who have been very happy with the program.

I don't know of any other programs other than mom/dad. DS attended a camp for kids with ADGD, SLD and Aspergers- their counselors were mostly sped teachers. I paid a APE teacher to teach DS.

[miranda]

I recently read that REI does bike-riding classes.

[waverly]

miranda, I saw that, but no classes coming up. I think I have to table this until spring. Also, I suppose they could get rid of the training wheels, but could they fix the leg thing? I know some bike stores do something about form, but I don't know if any around me do that or if they would just look at me weird when I ask. Or think it is strange because it is a kid.

If I am tabling it until spring, then perhaps by then the PT would have totally done its job. For a moment, I contemplated moving his bike to the basement so he could ride in circles, but I am not totally convinced that isn't crazy because it is a pretty small space for a bike. H seemed to think he was too young for the gym, so I guess the pedaler we have at home and PT is all I can do at the moment?

[miranda]

I'm not sure how good the REI class is. I like auntie 's suggestion about asking your school's APE teacher. Our district does a yearly biking class for the APE kids. I pulled DS out of APE before we used it.

[waverly]

I just got back his OT eval, and they want to see him for 6-12 months. I was reading somewhere that OT's were helping with biking. I guess because they are more motor planning? His PT didn't seem to want to touch it, so maybe that is why because she thought it was an OT thing. Although I think he actually has the motor planning down for biking, its more muscle weakness. The OT in the last session worked quite a bit on his core, so that plus PT plus the orthotics should help.

Apparently he has impulse control issue, problems with attention at the table tools (although he seems fine with attention in the classroom), motor planning issues, sensory issues etc. It's a bummer that he has so many issues. And he is doing so good in school, which I realize is a great thing, but you would think with him doing so well in that area that it would be all areas I guess.

I guess the eustachian tube dysfunction is just messing everything up/ vestibular. I want to say DCD or dyspraxia, but its just not quite right, so I think it is more vestibular. Who knew one little problem with the ears would affect everything else.