Just Like Riding a Bike
So, just a day out riding bikes, right? Sure, definitely.
But Also
Any skill you teach your child, you’ll need to maintain over time.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s just like riding a bike.” The idea is that once you learn how to ride a bike, you don’t forget.
This may be true for the typical population, but for our special kiddos, skill maintenance is a key part of preventing regression as well as building on skills to make progress.
Some examples:
- We still use scissors to open packages because it is the easiest way to maintain scissor skills in our daily life.
- I check in on toothbrushing and other daily living skills to make sure they are still being done well.
- We still have Michael write cards and sign his name even though he does not NEED to do much handwriting during the day.
- We have Michael read aloud every once in a while to keep that skill fresh.
So even things that are, ‘just like riding a bike’ take time to learn, and need to be practiced so our kids can maintain the skills they worked so hard to attain.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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