Hopefully getting a tricycle for Jackie!

[Pamster]

When we get it I will post pics, anyone else have one for their kids? Looking at the adult styled ones with the big seat and wide wheel base. In fact we're pretty sure Med-Waiver will cover it for us as it's really medically necessary for him at this point, he needs to lose weight and he'd ride it for a long time I'm sure. I just thought I would pass this along in case any of you on med-waiver out there want a tricycle because your child can't make use properly of a two wheeled bike safetly. That is our main concern, safety. It is so wonderful that we're doing this for him, he needs to vent that energy and a tricycle will be perfect. :D

http://www.cyber-soup.com/pamster/Tristar-blu-lg.jpg

[Jamies Mommy]

Thats wonderful news. Jamie got one last year with the help of some wonderful friends I met on the internet.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t39/rebelwithkidz/BirthdayandBike070.jpg

[Pamster]

Aww! What a great picture of Jamie first getting on his tricycle! Thanks for sharing it, Does he like to ride it a lot still? :D

[Isabelle]

i need one like that with a electric motor to carry me over hills ;):p

wishing jackie to get one !!!

edit: is jamie using the bike a lot? with my boy, stimming got on the way :C

[Pamster]

Thanks Isabelle! We'll know in just about two weeks, and then it will be shipped here. I really hope the med-waiver will cover it with the rx from the Dr. I really think it is the ticket to a happier and much more managable summertime break. I think Jackie would get a lot of use, and exercise out of a trike so hopefully it will work out. :D

[dyslimbic]

That Trike looks good Pamster. I am curious to know whether difficulty with a two wheeled bike is a typical autism thing.
I took me till i was nearly 14 to be able to ride a bike. It being quite embarrassing when my brother and sister who are two years and three years younger than me were doing so several years before me.
In my case it was an issue of balance. I only rode a bike occasionally and then for just for a few years.
When i did ride it was in areas where there was not much traffic. Around the village i used to live in.
I see quite a lot of people using bikes around town were i live but no way could i do that as the cars etc and judging distances vis a vis when i should make a certain move safely would be way too much from both a visual spatial and visual stimuli perspective ie all those cars etc toing and froing and keeping track of them re cycling safely would make my head spin.

[Pamster]

With Jackie it's definitely due to his autism, he can't focus on the idea of steering, pedalling and balance all at one time. He just can't coordinate it. But with a trike I think he'll do great because he will be freed from thinking about balancing himself and steering will be his primary focus. He's already sat on one at the local county field day for special needs people back in April and he loved it, wished he could have ridden it but we're positive he'll be able to handle the adult trike. :D

I bet that was hard not being able to ride a bike as a child Tim, I fell plenty off my bikes as a kid and was able to ride to the parks and the local community center, but these days and in this county it would be too darn dangerous to do. Even if Jackie didn't have autism and could ride a normal bike, he'd only be allowed to in our neighborhood here. Even here people speed around, it's scary! I totally understand not wanting to use a bike to get around your town, it's just too hard to keep your eyes on everything and stay safe. :p

[dyslimbic]

I bet that was hard not being able to ride a bike as a child Tim,

It was quite hard. Then i have never been the most balanced or co-ordinated person in any sense of the word! :D
I was the proverbial kid who was useless at sports and gymnastics and so often happens to children who are bad at such things was treated as being lower down the social hierarchy .
That and the fact i was quite awkward/gauche socially resulted in quite a lot of bullying especially at Public school(British private 13-18)

[frogmama]

Rocking bike! Looks alot like MINE! Except mine is yellow and has streamers on the handlebars ;) - I can't balance a 2-wheeler, even if I did manage to get my 5' self up on one!

Matthew hasn't got the balance or the core strength for a regular bike and regular training wheels bent like spaghetti with his weight, but a few years ago we found these huge 20" training wheels (like outriggers) that bolted onto a regular boy's 20" bike. So now he basically has a 4 wheeled bike. He still has to use some balance as the wheel are set slightly "up" from the main wheel, like training wheels on a regular bike, but he can't really tip it over. We even got a local agency to pay for them, thought they are MUCH less expensive than a new trike. He's outgrown the 20" this year, so we are going to try bolting them to a regular 24" mens bike.

[Pamster]

I got bullied too, spit on by the one nasty girl all because she was so obsessed with my being overweight. I know how cruel kids can be about inability to play sports well too, I was always last picked. :p

[Pamster]

Rocking bike! Looks alot like MINE! Except mine is yellow and has streamers on the handlebars ;) - I can't balance a 2-wheeler, even if I did manage to get my 5' self up on one!

Matthew hasn't got the balance or the core strength for a regular bike and regular training wheels bent like spaghetti with his weight, but a few years ago we found these huge 20" training wheels (like outriggers) that bolted onto a regular boy's 20" bike. So now he basically has a 4 wheeled bike. He still has to use some balance as the wheel are set slightly "up" from the main wheel, like training wheels on a regular bike, but he can't really tip it over. We even got a local agency to pay for them, thought they are MUCH less expensive than a new trike. He's outgrown the 20" this year, so we are going to try bolting them to a regular 24" mens bike.

Wow! I wish we could have found some like that, I called around and hunted around but to no avail. I think that those would have worked as well as a trike is going to work out for our family, but we'll have to see how well it works for Jackie, I have a feeling it will help him to build up confidence in himself unlike any other thing we've tried for him. And the additional benefit is that he'll use it and like using it and will lose weight. That is just one of our goals, to help him lose some weight this summer and a trike can definitely help in that regard. :D

I am glad your son Matthew is on his way to a bigger bike, our kids grow so fast it's amazing. :D

[frogmama]

http://www.fatwheels.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=NEW%21+Outriggers

These are similar to what we have - a little smaller, but the mounting seems sturdier.

[Pamster]

Thanks for the link frogmamma! :D