|
||||||
| Benefits | ||||||
| Who will the AmTryke benefit? This tricycle will benefit children with low tone or paralysis of lower extremities (like spina bifida) and also children with cerebral palsy who need to build up normal muscle tone and control. The benefits include increased coordination, improved muscle strength, and improved balance. Some children with mild coordination and balance problems can benefit from using the AmTryke. They are usually the ones who can not ride a bicycle or tricycle. Some children have progressed from the AmTryke to a regular bicycle with training wheels. Others have begun to walk with less assistive devices.
The general age range seems to be three to eight years for the regular 12" front wheel size and seven to pre-teen or early teen years for the large 16" front wheel size. It does depend on your child’s size and strength. The AmTryke is sturdily built, weighs 40 pounds on the regular size and 55 pounds for the large size, and it does take some strength to power it. As a development tool, you may find it requires that someone act as a helper until your child learns to ride and builds the strength needed.
Remember you didn’t jump on your first bike and ride away into the sunset. It took some practice and learning; your child will need some help. It will be fun to work together in learning a new skill. Children should be supervised since the child is strapped onto the AmTryke. A smooth, level surface is preferred. The AmTryke has a restricted turning radius, and a child may have to back up to change directions. The AmTryke may turn over if the riding surface isn’t level. A helmet is strongly recommended for safe riding. When the child is fatigued, he should be removed. Kids can ride daily as any normal child would.
The turning radius can be restricted three ways: 1)straight ahead steering 2) twenty degrees from straight-ahead, or 3) full turning radius. This is because it takes some practice and strength to steer the AmTryke when using the hand crank. For kids with less strength, you may want to consider restricting the turning radius straight ahead. This keeps the front wheel from turning back and forth as the child pedals.
Based on the strength of the child you may opt for one of the three steering options, 1) straight-ahead 2) twenty degree turning radius, or 3) full turning radius.
NOTE: store the screws in a safe place so that if in the future you wish to restrict the turning radius you may do so by simply re-installing the screws in to the steering shaft side walls.
Feel free to adapt the AmTryke to your child. Add on anything that will help it work for your child, or take off anything your child does not need. We have had parents and therapists remove the pedal cups, add Velcro straps for the wrist, and add blocks to the pedals for short legs.
Some therapists like to reverse the relationship between the foot pedals and the hand cranks. The only way to accomplish this is to remove the chain guard, unfasten the chain, rotate the hand cranks one half turn, and reassemble the chain and guard. Any local bicycle shop can easily do this. If you are reasonably mechanical, you can do it yourself. Feedback… Please let us know how the AmTryke works for you. Send us a picture of your child with a big smile on the AmTryke. We like to publish the pictures in the AMBUC magazine. This shows the volunteers who support this project the benefits of the AmTryke project. |
||||||
