How can you teach a child an essential life skill, boost their confidence, and involve them in an activity that enables them to spend valuable time with their friends and family?
For South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s children’s cycle therapy skills group, it’s just like riding a bike.
The group was developed in 2008 following requests from parents for support to help their child to learn to ride a bicycle.
It’s run for children over 7 years old who are struggling to learn to ride independently due to difficulty with processing information, planning and/or co-ordination.
The group helps children with stability and co-ordination difficulties to develop the skills in order to be able to balance and co-ordinate themselves in order to cycle unaided.
Aside from the obvious health benefits of exercise and 'playing' on a bike, the cycle group also brings with it a number of wellbeing benefits. Learning these skills allows the child to take part in more activities with their family and friends which helps to develop them socially.
Cycling also offers a fun alternative to physiotherapy, as it assists in the children’s development by improving their stability and balance as part of a therapeutic programme. The group receive extremely positive feedback from families and 76% of children who have attended the group have learnt to ride independently by the final session. "This will now change our lives as a family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” - Parent