Climb Every Wall
Charlie used to have the urge to climb and no windowsill, table, back of the couch, dresser, or the top of the piano did not bear the imprint of his bare feet. I was always worried that his next Everest would be the top of the book shelves but he never attempted those (though everything we tried to hide “out of his sight” atop the shelves was found once he (a) grew past 4 feet and (b) learned by watching me that he could drag a chair over and stand on it). This was when he about 5-8 years old; when he was 7 we took him to a climbing wall and he was definitely curious. He was hooked up to a harness and went a couple feet up off the ground, very careful that each foot was stable. And when he’d climbed high enough, he told us, that was enough.
Reading about a climbing facility in the greater Toronto area got me thinking about climbing walls again. There’s a not-too-high one at our YMCA and I’m looking into when Charlie might try it. A little climbing can get you somewhere good………..
Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, climbing wall, exercise, gym, Health, parents, pdd-nos, Sports, sports blog, ymcaRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Sports
4 opinions for Climb Every Wall
M
May 31, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Super Charlie!
Climbing seems to be one of his core character traits. Finding obstacles, overcoming them, going up and up. I seem to have acquired the reverse character trait: sitting. Literally and metaphorically. At the very most I’ll climb onto the couch and call it a day. I need more Charlie-ness.
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 31, 2008 at 3:58 pm
ha! onward and upward is a motto around here……..
Storkdok
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:54 am
Funny you mention this, Kristina. Alex is a climber, too, from right after his first birthday. In fact, when the developmental psychologist came to our house for his visit to help in the EI diagnostic process, he walked up to the window and saw Alex free climbing across the window, and noted it in his report!
At least Alex has become more aware of safety since he was about 5 years old. He has gone to some of the climbing facilities and done the climbing walls, will only go to just above our heads. But he climbs on a lot of other things and loves to get in his “safe place” as he calls it!
My 3 year old NT kiddo is also a climber, climbed out of his crib before he was 1 year old, climbs anything, has been climbing on the tables and swinging from the chandelier since he was 19 mos, then jumps! He loves to spin, asks to be spun for over half an hour sometimes. He has a lot of need for vestibular input! He hasn’t yet learned caution.
The YMCA near us has a new climbing wall, I am going to take the boys over this summer to try it out. Who knows were it can lead?….I know a guy who is one of the top climbing guides in Europe. Might have to take a climbing vacation someday!
Niksmom
Jun 1, 2008 at 7:47 am
Hmmm…food for thought about how to work with Nik’s propensity for climbing. He’s forever climbing the furniture and has recently mastered climbing INTO is crib. Yesterday I watched him figure out how to turn over his large toy “bucket” (a 20 gal. plastic container) and try to stand on it. Gulp…it was just the right height that he can (and will soon) figure out how to get over the gates!
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