This past winter was cold, colder than it’s been in years. But to make up for the extra cold, it looks like we’re having a warmer-than-average spring. How’s that for a change?
While many parents love the long, sunny afternoons, which afford their children hours of outdoor fun (requiring minimal parental interaction!), lots of parents of children with special needs dread this season. Some, because the supervision level required to keep their child safe while playing outside is draining, and others, because their children wish they could play outside like all of their neighbors and friends — but their disability is holding them back.
Read on for some great strategies and products to have fun this spring while keeping safe!
Safety skills
When it comes to children, and especially children with special needs, safety is number one. Nothing — not fun, not smiles, and not preventing tantrums — trumps the basic need for safety. While some things, such as installing locks, and if necessary, fences and alarms, are pretty much under your control as a parent — other important items on the safety list, such as not talking to strangers or not running into the street, are within the sole control of your child.
So, what can I do, then?
Okay, so here are a couple of things:
Number one — do the things that you can do: the alarm installing stuff, the trackers, the high up locks, etc.
And number two — teach your child about safety at their own level. This sounds basic, but it’s paramount. Things like, we can only play outside when a grown up is watching us; we never go into the street; we don’t talk to strangers… You name it.
You can read a book about it together, talk it out and draw pictures of safe and unsafe scenarios, or teach your child easy-to-remember phrases for each rule (“We stay on the sidewalk”) to repeat each time you head out together to play.
Outdoor Fun for Everyone
Bike riding and playground fun are popular activities for kids in the springtime. But happens when a kid isn’t able to participate, even though they really want to? Whether the issue lies with balance, coordination, or other physical limitations, there are some great adaptive options out there which are worth looking into:
This adaptive swing is a great supportive option for a kid who loves swinging but struggles to sit independently.
Why shouldn’t your kid ride a bike like everyone else on the block? Here are some great special needs trikes which make it possible:
This one is great for a kid who can balance on a bike seat but can’t do the petaling thing. Made for bigger kids or adults, this bike is larger and sturdier than standard kids’ bikes with training wheels. With her feet firmly on the floor and three wheels for balance, your child can scoot around outside on her bike to her heart’s desire.
For a bigger kid or an adult who is capable of petaling and steering, but still struggles to balance on a bike seat or two-wheeler, this adult trike with a little extra seat support is a fantastic choice.
Rifton is a company that makes very specialized products for kids who need more than just a little physical support. They have created various versions of their tricycle which can be enjoyed by kids who need full sitting support.
Another good (read: affordable) thing to know about is something called FatWheels, a brand which creates training wheel kits that can be connected to larger bikes. This is an amazing option for bigger kids and adults who can sit and petal independently, but still need the extra balance support of training wheels.
And how, exactly, am I supposed to pay for this stuff?
Adaptive bikes often come with a hefty price tag, but there are several available grants which (depending on your child’s and family’s eligibility) may be able to help defray the cost, especially if the bike is useful for therapeutic purposes.
A few of the grants we like:
Wishing all of our Ezreinu families a safe and enjoyable spring!
As always, please feel free to reach out to our office at 718-750-1010 for referrals and support.
The Grossbergs wished they had more support for Shira, their daughter with special needs, but since they’d moved away from New York, they had no idea where to get help in their new city. Mr. Grossberg called Ezreinu and was given contact information for a local organization that would be able to guide them in receiving the services that Shira needed. 🟦
Nechemia, an easygoing young man with special needs, was hospitalized for some time. His dedicated parents and siblings took shifts day and night, but one night, there was a family simcha and none of them were able to stay with Nechemia. The local chessed volunteers were not able to accommodate hospital shift coverage due to his age and special needs, so his family reached out to Ezreinu — and was sent a happy, willing volunteer who spent the night with Nechemia. 🟦
Identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
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