[maryroselc]

Hello

My son, 6.5 years (left sided hemi), really enjoys dancing. We live in North London and would love to find a dance group (not ballet) that he might join. Does anyone know of any? We are also keen that he starts to get into water, so if anyone knows of any good swimming groups or teachers with experience of working with hemiplegic children that would be good too!

Our neurodisability physiotherapy consultant at GOSH also suggested horseriding...has anyone tried this - is it hugely expensive?

Also we joined the charity Keen London based in Tufnell Park, North London. It is a great charity that does sport activiites with children and teenagers with physical and learning needs. Most of the children have communication/learning difficulties but the charity wants to welcome more children with physical challenges. My son loves it, as does my daughter - siblings join too! Each week they have their own helper to play and do sports with. Each child becomes a Keen Athlete. They have a website and do a home visit before you join.

Thanks!

[N+J]

Hello Mary Rose,

That Keen charity sounds interesting. I will look into that. We also live in North (East) London. My son is just 5. I have been swimming with him since he was really little and we've done swimming lessons for the past 2 ish years. He used to have a very good teacher at the local pool - but this last year has made no progress as we've had to use different teachers due to Samuel starting school. Most of the lessons are not that good at accomodating him. Or at least they are very welcoming but then really cotton wool him and don't seem to know how to get him to hold a float/compensate for not being able to - or to use both arms.

I think we're going to start taking him as a family now, as a result. So I'd be interested in any recommendations too ...

Samuel does gymnastics and this has been really really challenging but enormously beneficial. It makes him weightbear and he's become a lot stronger in his arms and got more body awareness since starting.

He has just started sporadic horseriding, so I can't really say how beneficial it is. But Samuel so so loves it more than anything else - that it is worth it just for that. We go to the local// council funded riding centre. The Leigh Valley one. But they have been difficult with us with regards to Samuel having hemiplegia. They told us that he could only do riding for the disabled (but he's been on the waiting list since 18 months old and we've never heard a dicky bird from them) or private lessons (at £40 for half an hour) and that they would not accept him on the 'normal' lessons. So I have fought hammer and tong and now they reluctantly say that he can join in, but sort of provisionally. If Samuel was not so keen I wouldn't bother - but he is desperate to do the horse riding there.

Nicola.

[maryroselc]

Thank you for your advice. We are now hoping to get a block of hydrotherapy with our local PCT so we might combine this with, as you say taking him swimming ourselves, and if he really gets on then start lessons. He is nervous because when we tried private 1:1 lessons with a teacher (worked with SEN kids) the very first thing the teacher did was pour water over James' head with out really warning him!

We have been given these riding schools who do Riding for the Disabled:

Chigwell Riding School and Pennywells Riding School

Another parent also suggested Oakleigh Park swimming as a good swimming school.

My son is actually 5.5 yrs - not 6.5. Don't want to add years to him!

Mary

N+J, on 31 March 2012 - 03:46 PM, said:

Hello Mary Rose,

That Keen charity sounds interesting. I will look into that. We also live in North (East) London. My son is just 5. I have been swimming with him since he was really little and we've done swimming lessons for the past 2 ish years. He used to have a very good teacher at the local pool - but this last year has made no progress as we've had to use different teachers due to Samuel starting school. Most of the lessons are not that good at accomodating him. Or at least they are very welcoming but then really cotton wool him and don't seem to know how to get him to hold a float/compensate for not being able to - or to use both arms.

I think we're going to start taking him as a family now, as a result. So I'd be interested in any recommendations too ...

Samuel does gymnastics and this has been really really challenging but enormously beneficial. It makes him weightbear and he's become a lot stronger in his arms and got more body awareness since starting.

He has just started sporadic horseriding, so I can't really say how beneficial it is. But Samuel so so loves it more than anything else - that it is worth it just for that. We go to the local// council funded riding centre. The Leigh Valley one. But they have been difficult with us with regards to Samuel having hemiplegia. They told us that he could only do riding for the disabled (but he's been on the waiting list since 18 months old and we've never heard a dicky bird from them) or private lessons (at £40 for half an hour) and that they would not accept him on the 'normal' lessons. So I have fought hammer and tong and now they reluctantly say that he can join in, but sort of provisionally. If Samuel was not so keen I wouldn't bother - but he is desperate to do the horse riding there.

Nicola.