Help Your Child with Sensory Issues Learn to Ride

Bike riding is a great form of exercise and transportation, offering children a sense of independence. Children with sensory problems often need extra help in learning to be comfortable cycling. Part of their struggle with riding a two-wheeled bike, is the difficulty in planning and rapid implementation of the movement, while on an unstable bike that they inspect.

1st Choose the right bike. Encourage your child to start early riding a tricycle to begin to build cycling skills, and then invest in a small, low-to-the-ground two-wheeled bike with training wheels. Both sexes can do better starting out with a "girl" bicycle with a dropped bar support, making it easier to mount and unmeant. Also, wider tires are easier to balance than thinner, racing slicks.

2nd Adjust the bike to facilitate learning. Make sure the seat is big enough to her, and consider replacing it with a wider or longer seat (seats can be sold separately). Adjust the seat's texture if necessary with a nylon cover, or a towel tied over the seat, if this will make it easier for her to feel the seat beneath her and make her feel more secure.

Bicycles are the most comfortable ride for long stretches when the seat is adjusted so that when the rider sits, the balls of her feet touching the ground. But at the beginning of learning to ride and feel safe on a bicycle, a child needs space decreases, so her feet are flat on the ground when she sits. You may remove the pedals while she practices pushes with her feet while seated, and balancing.

3rd Break down the skills step. Have her propel themselves with their feet, then lift them up and try to balance because the bike is in motion and stop even with handbrakes just before putting his feet down. In this way she will learn to balance and then use the brakes, then add the pedals step.

You can try to place your child on the bike on top of a short, very gentle slope. Keep the seat and one side of the handlebars when he rode down the slope, so he can feel his feet on the pedals when they move.

4th Try training wheels. After the child has become familiar with training wheels, training wheels reposition to be a bit off the ground. You can encourage the child to listen to the sound of the training wheels hit the pavement and practice bike riding, while not trying to "make it sound," which means he does not rely on training wheels. As you can see him becoming more competent, training wheels move higher, so he is even more dependent on his sense of balance.

5th Protect her from harm. Encourage your child to wear long sleeves and long trousers and even protective cushions when first learning to ride, if she will tolerate these garments, which will reduce the impact if she falls and keep her from becoming discouraged. Practice in a large open lot with few visual distractions. Also make sure her helmet fits tightly. Use the sticky-backed pads to adjust the fit if necessary. The helmet should not fall backward or forward or slosh from side to side while the child is riding, and chin strap should secure it in place. You may want to Desensitizer child's head with a massage or vibration, before he puts his helmet on her.

6th Be patient and encouraging. Teach your child to learn to ride is a process. Challenge her to push herself just a little bit every time she rides, so she does not become overwhelmed and avoid riding altogether. Be sure to celebrate his triumph when she makes the first two-wheeled ride on her own, and recall how proud you are that she persevered in this challenging task.