Why Biking is Good for Someone with Autism

OK, so if this blog is about bicycling and autism, exactly what ARE the advantages of bicycling for someone with autism? The following list is something I came up with. It is by no means complete, nor is it terribly scientific. I should note that many of these also apply to typical children (as well as their parents).

It gets them (and you) out of the house We all know how easy it is to just stay inside and let our child play on the computer or watch television. Bicycling breaks the routine. K.J. is very much into a rigid schedule, but all I have to do is mention that we are going biking, and K.J. will stop whatever he is doing, and head to the kitchen to get our water bottles ready. I try to vary our route and trails, so we don't get into a routine for our rides either.

Physical activity Both from the exercise standpoint, and the physical therapy standpoint, bicycling is good for your child. I've been told that the repetitive pedaling motion is great. K.J. is a healthy looking 14-year-old, and I like to think that bicycling is a major contributor to that

Interaction with parents and other family members Bicycling is a family activity. It helps your autistic child feel like they are part of the family, and will also help typical siblings understand what "family" means. A long quiet ride is a great way to get some "quality time", just you and your child.

Interaction with the community and nature You're not biking in a vacuum. You child gets a chance to interact with your community and with nature (especially with trail rides). they will learn to interact with their favorite vendors (the local ice cream stand, for instance) and other trail users. Bicycling on a trail allows them to get closer to nature. K.J. like to count the various creatures we encounter (deer, rabbits, ducks, and even the occasional snake).

Bicycling stresses cooperation and communication This is particularly true of a tandem bike, but it also applies to other configurations. Climbing a hill or accelerating to pass others is most easily done when you are working together!

Sensory integration Learning to deal with a variety of stimuli, particularly in public situations.

Bicycling is fun! Duh! Almost forgot this one...

Two Outta Three Ain't Bad...

Sunday shaped up to be a perfect opportunity to cycle into dahntahn Pittsburgh. The wife was out all day, and I had both boys. The Steelers weren't playing until Monday night, so I didn't have to worry about game traffic. And the weather promised to be more of the glorious fall weather we had the previous two days.

Well, I got two out of three (cue Meatloaf...). The weather didn't cooperate. It was overcast and windy. Pretty miserable from a biking standpoint (especially if you're the one up front breaking the wind). It even started to sprinkle a little bit. The boys didn't complain, even though I heard some sniffles behind me.
We stopped at a new location for us, a place called "Tunnel Park" near the REI store on the SouthSide. I guess the name comes from the fact that there is a railroad tunnel running directly underneath the park. The park has a bunch of chess tables, and a huge chessboard in the center (I think there are large pieces somewhere, probably taken in for the winter). KJ decided it also worked for hopscotch.

Even though it was cold and miserable, it didn't prevent the boys from stopping for ice cream at Station Square. I didn't mind, because at least we could be inside for a bit and get warmed up.
Instead of the 18 to 24 miles I had initially hoped for, we only managed 12 miles. Although for this time of year, that isn't really too bad. That leaves us 62 miles short of our 1000 mile goal.

A Day OFF of School = A Day ON the Bike

On Friday KJ's school had an in-service day, so not wanting to let a beautiful fall day go to waste, KJ and I went out on the bike. Originally I had planned on a longer distance on a trail, but KJ had a busy day planned (haircut and an outing with his aide) so we finally ended up with a local trip to a park we don't get to as often.

The Children's Institute is a facility especially for special needs kids, as well as kids recovering from injuries. They have a playground that it adapted to those needs (ramps, special swings, etc) that is used for physical therapy, but it is also just a fun place to play! KJ's favorite activities are playing with the built-in tornado tubes (middle photo) and finding various rocks and sticks to push through the holes in the decking (bottom photo).

When all was said and done, we did a little more than 10 miles. We're now 74 miles short of 1000 miles.