Bec's first physio bike riding intensive!
What a way to end my first Term at Splash with an amazing week of bike intensives with both old and new Splash families!
To teach a child or young person how to ride a bike requires a detailed understanding of the components of how to ride a bike, developing a relationship with the child and teaching families how to provide ongoing support.
Thanks to the supportive team at Splash Physiotherapy, I was able to develop my skills and competency through mentoring and professional development in preparation for Term 1 2021 Bike Intensives.
Image description: Chlid wearing a blue helmet, riding on a bike with training wheels. Physiotherapist, Bec is support child by holding one hand on back of bike seat. Child and Bec are indoors on a blue concrete surface with white tape markings. A brick brown wall in the rear ground.
How did it go?
Rain, hail or shine our Splash families were out and ready to ride. To be able to have both outdoor and indoor options for our bike intensives allowed us to continue developing functional skills no matter what Melbourne’s weather decided to do.
I was lucky enough to work with children across a range of skill levels, from learning to ride a bike for the first time to those progressing off training wheels.
When teaching functional skills for participation we need to find the “just right challenge” for each child to assist in optimal learning. In bike riding this can range from learning to get used to sitting on a bike, learning how to activate the correct muscles to push the pedals, balancing on a bike without training wheels, learning to ride on various types of terrain, learning the safe riding rules and many more.
Within the first few days, goals were already being achieved. These included goals of getting on/off bike safety, walking and steering a bike, gliding on a bike and even removal of training wheels! As the week progressed we saw daily improvements and by end of the week we were all excited about the goals achieved and all the hard work that was put in.
Image description: Child learning how to ride a bike without training wheels, assisted by Physiotherapist Bec for initial balance. All images are on a grassy oval with goals and trees in the rear ground. The child wears a helmet and is sitting on bike, Physiotherapist, Bec wears a backpack.
LEFT: Physiotherapist Bec has one hand on back of bike seat and one hand on handle bar preparing for propulsion.
MIDDLE: Physiotherapist Bec holds back of seat and handle bar, running with child on bike down a hill.
RIGHT: Physiotherapist Bec walking behind child on bike who pedals off in the distance.
What are the benefits of physiotherapy intensives?
Splash Physiotherapy intensives are a fun and enjoyable way to end a school term. Evidence shows us that blocks of therapy are better than distributed therapy. We manage this during school term blcoks with weekly sessions.
And blocks of daily sessions on an intensive allow children and young people to develop and build on skills every day to achieve a goal in a shorter amount of time.
It also provides children and young people with an opportunity to try something new and build on the skills that have developed during the Term in land and aquatic therapy.
Image description: Physiotherapist Bec sitting in on grass in a park with her iPad in her lap, bag to her side and smiling at the camera. The back ground consists of trees and cars.
Want to know more about our intensives?
We run intensives for one week every school holidays and offer bike riding, kayaking, aquatic, ball skills, playground skills, mobility skills pre-sport, sport and leisure skills.
If you would like to find out more visit our website:
Rebecca Bacusmo is a Splash physiotherapist working with children and young adults in aquatic, land and telehealth physiotherapy. She is passionate about helping children learn and develop functional skills to assist them in participating in meaningful activities in everyday daily life at home, school and their communities. Rebecca has daily aquatic sessions available at two private swimming schools in Moonee Ponds and Greensborough, Melbourne, combined with daily home, school and Telehealth sessions and sports and recreation intensives over the school holidays.
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