Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Found help to learn bike riding!

Both. My son had great balance but not good coordination so he did get it but not without more struggle than normal ,I would say, and not with regular instruction. Most dyspraxics have poor balance AND poor coordination so they are really at a disadvantage. My DS is just lucky that for some reason his balance is decent.

My kids probably just need practice. They have learned other things, like rollerblading, with some practice. Older two kids play their sport(s) at a reasonably competitive level - enough to get some interest from DIII coaches, so I don't think it is a coordination issue. It is just to the point that DD16 doesn't even want anyone to see her try to ride - and none of us want her to get hurt and miss her tournaments/showcases this summer.

Actually, my DS picked up rollerblading and ice skating quite easily. But things like swimming and bike riding and jumping jacks not so well. So I don't know! You know your kids best though. The picking up of sports at a competitive level is a very good sign. Dyspraxics may excel eventually at one sport but I think getting there at all requires a lot (they tend not to just pick motor skills like that up, ykim?) I like to think the bike riding actually helped improve DS's coordination so that things like rollerblading and ice skating came easier... and help with swimming, etc. I don't know, I am not sure how much such skills are transferrable - they say with dyspraxics they are not (that each such skill needs to be specifically and specially taught) so maybe it was just that he was blessed with good balance despite his dyspraxia that skills like skating came easier to him. So none/neither of your kids can really ride? The riding but not picking up turns is interesting? perhaps a vision issue? Or coud be like you say - lack of practice. Although, that is the other thing I find with DS - he will lose skills learned without practice, which is so odd compared to other kiddos. I mean the saying is "It's like riding a bike" right? but Ds has forgotten the skill already and had to relearn... Now he is just pretty rusty after a long winter without riding. And he has "forgotten" swimming several times. completely lost the skill over and over (terrible) again other kids don't seem to have this problem. Even swinging on a swing he has forgotten. Apparently this is pretty common of dyspraxia. Anyway, totally just some musings and food for thought - not saying there is anything going on with your kiddos!

DS has DCD (dyspraxia) and I thought he'd never learn to ride, or he'd ride really late so I haven't tried to teach him. But he was riding a razor scooter over the winter in physical therapy (up and down the hallways of the building). That taught him the balance needed so that as soon as the snow melted off the sidewalks he dragged a bike out of the garage that I had forgotten was there, jumped on, and started riding like it was no big deal, within seconds of getting it out of the garage. I was inside the house and saw him zipping past the house on a bike. It was a startling sight. Reminded me of that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is in a tornado and the witch lady rides by the window on a bike. He had never had problems pedaling though and could ride a bike with training wheels since he was 3. It was the balance that he didn't seem to understand until recently.
With DD I had to actually put more effort into teaching her. No DCD but she was younger (like 5)...I had to do the whole thing with running beside the bike, practically holding the bike up, etc. Not so with DS, my uncoordinated one. I think he just matured enough over the winter that he was ready. And the razor scooter helped. Kind of like babies learning to walk. One day they can't do it at all and the next day they can.

Thanks for posting your experience PipersMom! I am really looking forward to it. I just hope my DD has the same success with the program that yours did. I will post back about it in August.

About the balance and coordination - my DD has good balance and terrible coordination. She does really well on a horse but can't use a scooter to save her life. She swims like a fish under water but years of swimming lessons haven't helped her above water. At first she took great to ice skating but soon lost the ability - was never able to rollerblade. Like Irena's son she seems to lose a skill if she doesn't keep using it. She is a natural dancer but has real difficulty remembering choreography - no where close to the ability level you would expect after 6 years of dance lessons.

As DH said this morning she's an enigma. I'm just so happy there are other parents here who can relate!

NotSo..There were kids at the program as old as 18. Piper was 12 at the time and has Asperger's, and while she was one of the higher functioning kids, she wasn't the only one, by any means. There really was a diverse group, kids with ASDs, Down's Syndrome, etc. If it's something your dd would benefit from, and is interested in, I would look into it.

I just had to comment on this because she sounds just like Piper, Pemberley. Watching her use a scooter (or try to) I never knew whether I should laugh or cry..one foot was pretty much ALWAYS on the ground, and she is the same way with swimming as well. There was talk that ICanShine is looking into doing a similar program for swimming, and I'm really hoping they will! She can dog-paddle , and does okay on her back, but that's about it.