Out and About - At the swings

There is nothing more fun in this hot weather than a visit to some swings according to E (having to push for over an hour I’m not so sure).

Many play parks have a basket swing which they deem as inclusive for all.  E agrees that she enjoys these swings and can share them with some others.  I don’t like them so much.  They feel a bit unsafe, are difficult to lift her in and out of and don’t really give the same experience and benefits of an upright swing.

The alternative that I have seen in a few places in an upright seated swing made by SMP .  This is similar to a special needs swing that you may get for your own garden.  In this type of swing, E can use her standing transfer skills to get in and out, gets a full swinging experience, is able to feel her body in space and has to work on her head and trunk control.

 I’ve spoken to a few park departments who acknowledge that these swings are inclusive for all but there are a number of factors that are stopping their widespread use.  Firstly they are more prone to vandalism as they have a bigger area to damage and also in some cases they cannot share a swing frame with another swing.  They also require a harness for safe use.

 All that said there are a number of them out there.  I’m still waiting to hear back from a number of councils but so far the list is:

• North Queensferry, Fife.  Top play park.  There is no harness available but you can buy your own from SMP

•  Edinburgh.  Magnet Play area at the Meadows.  There are two here but I am not aware of any harness.

• Monifieth, Angus.  Blueseaway Play Area.  There are two harnesses available from the sports centre.

• Forfar, Angus.  Lochside play park.  There is a harness available from the toilets.
• Cumbernauld. Palacerigg Country Park.
• North Berwick.  

I am putting together a more comprehensive list of accessible play park equipment, but in the meantime please add any you know about  either on the blog or the facebook page.

Guest Post ------ Riding for the Disabled ----Guest Post

J is a friend of E's and they met through Riding for the Disabled (RDA). Even though J has very mild CP, her more pressing difficulties are in social, developmental and behavioural aspects. I wanted her to participate in something that not only helps develop her physicality, but her sense of self.

In school and in other areas of life, J comes last in pretty much everything and she is very much aware of this. I really believed that RDA would help counter this.  I knew of RDA, because my mother was a paediatric physiotherapist, who used to extol its virtues for children with ASL.   I also used to volunteer with RDA before I had J, so I was well aware of the benefits this could bring to a young person.

J loves her weekly riding session. She loves the horses and the actual riding.  It gives her such joy and confidence.  I wish they could provide lessons every day! 

  J's RDA lessons cost £6 per half hour session, but this may vary depending on each RDA group. 

RDA is available to all kinds of disabilities, from CP through to children with autism.   To apply please refer to the RDA website, but note you will also need a letter from your doctor stating how/why your child will benefit from RDA.

Unfortunately, they do tend to have waiting lists as they are very much dependent on volunteers.  The volunteers are fantastic, coming in all ages and from all walks of life. They have a training schedule, where the experience instructors teach volunteers on various areas, such as the best way to lead a RDA horse and the best way to walk alongside the horse/child.  RDA is always on the lookout for volunteers as this directly affects the number of children who can benefit from RDA.

Swimming

As I’m sure many of you are aware, most local authorities offer swimming classes specifically for those with additional support needs.  While this may stray away from the ethos of inclusion, it can be the only way that swimming is possible for some and a stepping stone for others.  As with many of these activities, they cover a range of support needs and the level of support given varies with the age and needs of the child.  I am unsure if there is a specific qualification for teachers, but my experience of the empathy and awareness shown would indicate a level of training.

If anyone has not already investigated this option and would like to know more about specific classes in their area then please leave a comment below.  I have gathered details / contacts for a few councils and happy to share these and any others I get.

Now we had a specific problem in swimming, if you can’t hold your head up consistently on dry land how do you do it in water.  So how do you get to do the swimming you enjoy?  Well up until recently, it involved E being held all the time she is in the water.  This was fine but didn’t really work in terms of independence, water confidence and best positioning.  Trying to find flotation aids was not easy.

After another regular trawl of the internet, I came across the PFD-A.  It’s basically a buoyancy aid with an integrated head float. 

Our device was kindly funded by the family of the swim instructor selling tablet at Rosslyn Chapel.  It was incredibly successful with E pushing her instructor away within seconds of getting in the water and lessons are now focused on developing strokes for independent swimming.

Now for the technical part:   All swimming is done on your back as it cannot support swimming on your front.  To get it on and off is a two person job but may be easier if you use a changing table.  They are made in Canada and need to be personally imported (incurring import tax).  They come in a variety of sizes with plenty of growing room and I found contact with the suppliers really helpful.

Ski Monday

Physical activity is important for everyone and I am always on the lookout for activities for E and when the chance came for her to try skiing we jumped at it.  As I said before, E is in a wheelchair and needs help to sit and stand, so she skis in a bi ski (or sit ski).  As you can see it’s an amazing piece of equipment which is controlled by the skier leaning and looking in the direction they need to turn.  E really enjoys skiing and like many children her age enjoys hurtling down the hill at top speed.

At Hillend, the bi-ski will use the chair lift but through some ropes it can also use tow bars.  

 

The ski group is led by volunteers who are experienced skiers and is open to all ages and from what I have seen they are able to find a way for just about everyone to experience skiing.   Each skier is accompanied by one or two volunteers, depending on their requirements.  Parents/carers do not need to take part but the group have organised a number of lessons to help parents /carers learn to ski. 

The Edinburgh group meet weekly on a Monday evening at Hillend and sessions are allocated by matching volunteer availability with skiers.  There is no skiing at Hillend from December through to March but the club do organise two ski trips to the Cairngorms in that time at a very reasonable price.  There is also a group based at Xscape in Glasgow and during the skiing season, there is a team based at the Cairngorms for booking individual sessions.   DisabilitySnowsport also organise week long skiing trips abroad.

We have been on the  ski weekends twice now,  the last one funded through Take a Break, and E had a great time on both.  This year, with conditions at the Cairngorms being so good, we have also had two separate visits, arranging a session through the team based there.  Once again E had a great time on the slope.

For contact details, I recommend you visit the DisabilitySnowsport website where up to date contact information and membership costs are available.