This is our second time out sledding with Gabe. His dad & I decided to find a shallow hill that would be fun for him to go down alone but easy to walk up by himself. There are interesting things happening here that I would take for granted if I didn't have a child with Down syndrome. For instance, Gabe has to find his centre of gravity and keep his core strong so he doesn't fall over going down the hill, or when the sled veers off the path. This demands good gross motor control. Once at a stop, he has to manage his body to get up off the slippery sled surface, and find his footing. When he has accomplished that, he needs to pick up the rope (not an easy task with poor fine motor in his hands AND wearing mittens!) and turn himself around on the snow to ascend the hill. Both of us are SO proud of him because he managed both the sled and his footfall up to the hill! And we're proud of ourselves too for taking a step back and giving the room for Gabe to go "sliding like a big boy!".
Tags: Down syndrome, sledding, tobogganing, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, family
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