Learning how to ride a bike is a seminal moment early in life, but it isn’t always easy for children with Autism or Down syndrome. However, over two dozen children suffering from those and other disabilities were given support at a recent nearby camp.
Held at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Emerson Hospital organized a week long camp alongside iCanShine.
Based in Pennsylvania, iCanShine aids disabled children across the country in their efforts to learn how to ride a bicycle.
This camp was the first held in Groton, but it was just the latest part of an ongoing effort by Emerson to assist disabled children with physical therapy issues.
Some of the over two dozen children at the camp were already patients at Emerson, and the week in Groton aided efforts to help those children according to Terrie Enis, director of Emerson’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies.
“We noticed that children that are less inclined to verbalize those feelings are speaking more, some of those children can (now) balance on a bike. It’s been tremendous and of course the effects on the families have been positive,” she said.
For campers like Will McDonald, the camp was a great help in his efforts to learn how to ride a bike, which he had struggled with over the past few months.
“(I) was a little nervous at first,” said McDonald. “(The camp) has helped me with the starts and stops.”
More iCanShine camps will be held in Massachusetts later this year in Upton and Scituate.
Additional information on iCanShine can be found at iCanShine.org
