Swimming without Sharks

Since he was just a baby Alex has loved the water. In fact, when he was a baby and toddler we did an infant/baby swim program and he learned how to swim. He's never been afraid of the water and loves to swim and splash around. One summer he was swimming and then last summer, he seemed to have lost swimming skills and become a big sinker. He needed to wear floaties again and I really was afraid he was going to drown in our neighbor's pool.  My husband encouraged him to be independent (I would have had the kid in a life jacket and everything else!) and he was right.  With practice he was swimming by the end of the summer  so when we vacationed in September he was "a swimmer". 

This summer we've gone to the beach and swam with friends a lot. He's happiest when he's swimming and with this heat, its been the only way to stay cool and still be outside. However there's been a lot of reports of sharks lately swimming in close to the shore which has made me more nervous about the beach - not like that has stopped the kids.

I put Alex into swimming lessons through the Brick Challenger program so he's been swimming 3 times a week for the past 2 weeks.   The ratio of instructors to kids is awesome - practically 1 on 1, sometimes 1 on 2 or 3 (depending on the kids skills).   Alex swims but he can't seem to float. He sinks.  They have been working on getting him floating and also developing his strokes so he swims that way instead of treading water or a dog paddle.  The interesting thing is that he swims under water pretty good and he loves to go under water.  I am not an underwater person - but he is all about diving down into the water to find rings and toys that they throw into the water for the kids to retrieve. 

The lessons have helped him immensely and I feel like we are crossing one more thing off of the cannot list.

Alex can swim.

Related Posts:
Swimming in Winter
Swimming Pool Progress Report

Lose The Training Wheels - The Prize: A green bike!

Since Alex had learned on the neighbor kids bike, we had to give that one back.  It was a good lesson in sharing for all involved.  Alex was happy to return it, thank his friend, and show him how he could ride now. His friend was excited for Alex and to get his bike back. However, this also left Alex without a bike to ride. His other 20" bike (which was gifted to him years ago) is still too big for him, even with his seat on the lowest setting and handlebars adjusted.  No wonder he had been really struggling with it even with training wheels!  Lesson learned on that one. So, the silver bike will go back up on a rack in the garage and maybe he can use it next year or whenever he grows into it.

I took Alex off to the store to pick out a new bike, also in the 20" tire size but one that fit him better.   It is not surprising he selected a green bike.

And then, off he rode...

To see both Alex and the neighbor's child riding down the street on bikes together was awesome!  Finally, Alex can ride bikes with the kids in the neighborhood and not watch from the sidelines.  This feels good.

Also, his little sister wants to take the training wheels off her old bike and learn. So guess who used a wrench again?

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 5 Graduation Day

And on Day 5 the kids rode some more.  By the end, they were all on 2 wheels.   There were a lot of tears, happy tears.  One of the children, a little boy with Downs Syndrome got on 2 wheels for the first time today. It was near the end of the session when he took off.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the field house.  I think  I had a more emotional reaction to seeing this kid ride than I did with my own.  When Alex rode I was giddy and happy. I just kept cheering and praising him and giving him hugs and high fives all day. I had cried when he didn't ride when others did, but when he finally rode -   I didn't cry.  Yet when this boy rode, I bawled like a baby.  I had that lump in my throat emotional, feel almost sick, cathartic cry. I realize that I was crying for all these kids - not just in our session but all the kids out there who are in this boat.  And our kids have had this amazing opportunity to be able to get over the hurdle of riding a bike. This is a life skill!  This is just one more thing that we can cross of our list of CAN DO and DID ITS where people said "your child will never..."  

Talk... Check!
Potty Trained.. Check! 
Read... Check! 
Swim.. Check! 
Ride a bike.. Check!

My kid did it!  He rode a bike. He lost his training wheels.  He can do anything when he is given the proper tools and a chance. 

I have hope!

Congrats to all the kids in our 11:20am session who got their wheels!

Thank you to Lose the Training Wheels & UNYFEAT.

Here's the kids - see those smiles! With Cory & Nikki  from Lose The Training Wheels

Alex & Gia Carroll, president of UNYFEAT.  I went to highschool with Gia so it was really nice to see her again and share in this experience.

To Alex's special volunteer helper, Brian.  Brian was there for him. He ran with him. He walked by his side. He helped him when he fell. He laughed with Alex. He was quiet when Alex needed him to be.  Brian had such a nice nature about him, he was very "chill" and laid back like Alex - just what we needed.  Alex also had another helper Kim, who is a teacher.  She wasn't here on the last day but she is in some of the other pictures I posted.  Kim was essential in teaching Alex how to brake and stop!!! Very important!!!

Important Links

UNYFEAT

Lose the Training Wheels

Media Coverage of Rochester Lose the Training wheels 2010

Lose the Training Wheels" Program Teaches Kids w/ disabilities

Lose the Training Wheels - 13WHAM News Video

Alex's Lose the Training Wheels Journey

We're off to Lose The Training Wheels
Lose the Training Wheels - Day 1

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 2

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 3 - RIDING!

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 4 - Practice

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 5 Graduation Day

Lose the Training Wheels - 13WHAM News Video Rochester NY

My son is the one going around shouting out numbers.. how appropriate!

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 4 - Practice

Since yesterday Alex "took off" on two wheels - he has successfully lost the training wheels. 

Now, its time to hone his skills. First up was the matter of stopping safely without crashing - learning to break. Also he continued to practice and work on his balance. A big thing he needs to do is remember to look where he is going and pay attention.   

As you can see in this video footage most of the kids are on now on 2 wheels and practicing. Some go real fast, others have slow starts, some are wobbly.. One thing for certain, these kids have accomplished a whole lot in a very short time.

Alex worked really hard on his stopping and steering today. He practiced both indoors and out for the entire (75 minutes) session.  During that time WHAM 13 came and took footage for a news story which I will add to the blog when it goes online.

Alex was also really excited to show off his new bike riding skills when his cousin (who is a special ed teacher) stopped over to visit.  Despite being in the middle of a heat wave here - high 90s he rode his bike all the way to the end of the street and back.  His little sister chased after him on her bike (with training wheels) and is now asking to 'lose the training wheels'. 

The kids were very sweaty, but even more so happy!

"Lose the Training Wheels" Program Teaches Kids w/Disabilities

Rochester's WHAM Channel 13 came to bike camp today!

Here's an article about one of the kids in Alex's session. 6 out of the 8 kids in our groups are on now on 2 wheels.


"Lose the Training Wheels" Program Teaches Kids w/Disabilities

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 3 - RIDING!

Today had a lot of highs and lows but has ended on a positive note.

First, my son woke up before 8am and announced he was ready to go to bike camp. He was excited and ready to go.

FB Status: first words out of Alex's mouth today: "Can I go to bike camp now?". Awake before 8 and asking to ride. Says alot!!!!

He told me that today he was going to ride Drew's bike and "lose the training wheels" at bike camp. I think he thinks they are really going to "get lost".  But, that's another story.  So.. we brought his bike with him, in case he was ready to be "launched" off the special bike from the adapted bike.  I hoped for the best.

Here you see him (he's the 3rd child - the one with the white helmet). He was going a little slow but has his moments where he picked up the speed.

Understandably he got tired as the session went on.  I watched as the other kids got launched onto 2 wheels and then I'd look at him going around and around and watch him fixate on the numbers on the track. 1 -2 -3 - 4 -5.  Every time he went over a number, he'd announce it. He'd swerve so that he could go over each number which was stamped on different lanes. I could see that  he was getting to be "done" as in exhausted.  At the end of the session all the kids but 3 of them were onto 2 wheels. Alex was one of the few not yet riding.  He was so close. After we left when I asked him about it on the way home he got really upset that he wasn't riding a big kid bike. "I want to try again". He didn't understand that his time for the day was up.  I felt bad for him. I wished they had put him onto the 2 wheels but it was only day 3, I didn't expect the majority of the kids to be riding already.  . They said he was "right there" and probably would get it tomorrow.

Here is where I disobeyed the rules...  they tell you to not have your kid practice at home between the LTTW sessions but I saw my son's frustration and I felt it too.  I knew he was very close and he could do it.  So, knowing my kid better than a stranger does, I took him to a nearby parking lot to give it a try.


One training wheel had already gotten loose and fallen off earlier in the day so I let him ride around with just the one remaining training wheel.  While he made some laps around the parking lot I noted that a lot of the time it was off the ground and figured there was no better time as now to remove it.



...It was here that I used a wrench (anyone who 'knows me' knows this is big!).













....And then, he was off.   He's riding!   

 

No more training wheels!!!!

A new friend

This is one of my mom's dogs. She has 2 goldens, and the kids are having so much fun with them.  Alex likes the boy one the best. He's definitely a gentle giant! Since our big dog passed away a few months ago, Alex definitely has missed having a big dog around.   I think this one would make an awesome therapy dog - he is so loving and also playful.

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 2

Day 2 and the kids made more and more laps around the field house. By the end, Alex was exhausted. Today he went a little bit faster and from time to time his volunteers (Kim & Brian) had to run a bit. I attempted to take video because I couldn't get good pictures that weren't blurry since he's constantly in motion. However, my luck with the video wasn't great. Everytime I attempted there was some sort of issue like someone walking right in front of me, or Alex riding right into the divider (oops!).  He's definitely my kid, I'm not the best with balance - sorry Alex.

As you can see the bikes have a big yellow handle on the back which the adult uses to help the kids.  They said we could buy one at the end of camp if the kids still require help.

The highlight of the day was the kids got to take a tandem bike ride. Alex loved it. There is a video of it on facebook by my highschool classmate who is with UNYFEAT. Hopefully I can get it to post here. He was all smiles on the tandem bike. I have to say it looked like a lot of fun!

Lose the Training Wheels - Day 1

Today was the first day of Lose The Training wheels camp for Alex.  He was so excited to go ride bikes. At first he wasn't thrilled about the orange camp T-Shirt, but then agreed to wear it over the top of one of his (many) Wall-E shirts.  I told him that he'd get hot, but decided it wasn't a battle worth picking.

Sometime in the past week, Alex has outgrown his bike helmet (it was a Razor Multi-Sport Helmet that he liked because it looked like the one the big kid down the street has) So, we had to make a quick stop off and get him a new helmet.  One of the requirements for the program is a properly fitting helmet, and I new that the other one was getting too small.  So, after trying on several we found one that he liked that also fit well. (He choose this: Youth Mongoose Street Series Helmet - White).    And then we were off to "bike camp".

The kids were paired with volunteers who really get a workout walking (and running) around the fieldhouse with the kids who are riding on special bikes. The bikes are pretty funky and have rollers on the back instead of tires - think paint roller.

NOTE: These pictures are from my phone - and are a bit blurry because he was moving pretty quickly and not stopping to pose

According to Alex, riding it is easy - easier than his bike with training wheels.   He did pretty good going around and around and around... Only a few close calls each time as he rounded one bend I thought for sure he was going right into the bleachers but he would always turn at the last minute.  After the hour or so, he was definitely slowing down and getting pooped.


Now, the hardest part is that he wants to go outside and practice on his bike but the people at the camp suggest that the kids don't do that. So we are inside watching movies (its at least  90 degrees out anyways!).

Tomorrow, I bring both bikes over to the camp and see what they have to say about them.  I had the crooked handlebars adjusted on my neighbor's son's bike at the local bike shop and they also fitted and made a suggestion for a new bike for Alex if neither of the bikes we have work out.

The best part of this whole adventure is  Alex is very very excited about learning to ride a bike and giving total cooperation.

Here's to a good first day! 

We're off to Lose The Training Wheels

I'm so excited for Alex right now, and also nervous too.  Ok, the idea of driving with both kids in the car for 8 hours by myself is a bit daunting as well - but I'll do it!  I've done it with one or both of them before.  We're visiting Grandma. And while we are there Alex is going to attend Lose the Training Wheels  sponsored by UNYFEAT.    So, the kids and I get  a week with my mother (their Grandma), I get to connect with some friends that I really miss, and also Alex gets to work on his bike riding skills.

Alex has been riding a bike with training wheels for a while. He was very confidently riding a 16" bike with training wheels but he preferred to ride his scooters instead. As a result, he outgrew the 16" bike which I sold to a friend with a younger child. Ages ago his grandparents had gotten him a 20" bike which my little brother and husband fitted with training wheels. But, it seemed just a hair to big for him. I'm guessing by the end of the summer with the way he's growing. For the camp, they want the kids to be able to be flat-footed while sitting on the bike and with this one he's tippy toed.  As we were practicing on it tonight and I was thinking to myself that the LTW people would tell me that the bike was too big for him (sending us out to buy a bike).

Well, right at that moment a  neighborhood child came riding down the street on a bike that looked smaller (but was also a 20" bike). The boy is 3 years older than Alex and pretty much his only non-autistic friend. One of his very few friends. So,  I asked him if Alex could try his bike and it fit Alex really well.  Meanwhile he was commenting how cool Alex's 20" BMX style bike was - "sweet ride" was the term he used.  I said to him maybe they could trade bikes for a week (and would ask his mom first, obviously).  So, we biked back to his house where I talked with his mom (a friend of mine) and she said it was no problem - glad to help. No trade needed as the schedule worked anyways with vacation, etc.  So we switched the training wheels to the other bike and Alex got right on.  Alex definitely fit this bike better and was more confident. His main problem seemed to be a lack of paying attention and not looking where he was going.  Ooops!  He'll work on that, I'm sure.

So,  I've decided I'm bringing both bikes with me just in case but at least now we have options.

I'm really hoping that Alex learns how to ride his bike this week and is able to give up training wheels!

Here's to Losing the Training Wheels!