Helping a child that cannot run & jump properly?

Dumbe

Did the coach say this front of your daughter.. If they did I would run a mile from this club..

If it was to you in a properly private session then if you feel that your daughter would benefit from help then I would suggest going to your gp and getting their opinion but get an opinion froma professional if this wi
L cause her any long term issues

But if her condition is mild and not causing her any issues , it would to me depend on whether it concerns your daughter and what benefit it may or may not give her in later life

mrs_sparrow

Oh, I just remembered, she has trouble getting undressed still as she cannot get her arms high to get the clothes off, so I have to get her bigger clothes so she can get them off at PE. She told me that she asks other children to help her get tops off if she can't. I asked the school about this but they never got back to me.

I am making an appointment today to get this sorted out. That will no doubt take 3 weeks to get!!

mrs_sparrow

Dumbe wrote: »

Did the coach say this front of your daughter.. If they did I would run a mile from this club.
No, my my son has big ears and overheard.

If it was to you in a properly private session then if you feel that your daughter would benefit from help then I would suggest going to your gp and getting their opinion but get an opinion froma professional if this wi
L cause her any long term issues

But if her condition is mild and not causing her any issues , it would to me depend on whether it concerns your daughter and what benefit it may or may not give her in later life

This is what we have done until now. It has been of no issue but she wants to do this club. If there is a physical reason why she cannot run the club needs to know and they need to make allowances, not snarky comments. If there is a problem I can help her with - be this shoes or some sort of personal training - I will do that as it can only be of benefit for her long term. Her friends dad is a personal trainer so docs first and then if it is not a physical problem, I am going to speak to him and get her some 1:1 to improve how she run.

I was worried I might be making be making too much of an issue of it - however, I've remembered that she can't undress herself still, so I guess now is the time to deal with it and find out whether there is some issue with her mobility.

daska

Dyspraxia isn't simply a physical thing about movement, it usually affects planning and organisation (think speech patterns, sentence structure, remembering what order to do things) as well as co-ordination (handwriting, physical activities) and kids are often late potty training etc.

I too think the coach saying this was appalling. I would have expected them to pull her out (in a sensitive manner) and assess her capabilities. They should have noticed if she was struggling to get her arms high enough or if her movements were out of the norm. The fact they didn't shouts volumes.

Go to the GP and ask for her to be referred. The fact that she can't lift her arms high enough to get her top off should be reason enough. Some kids are 'floppy', DS2 is, he has thighs like slabs but struggles to sit up for extended periods. He can climb like a monkey but his running is wooden and jerky and he still struggles with clothes fastenings. He's probably mildly dyspraxic (as well as sensory dysfunction, probable ASD/ADHD, sight problems, language problems etc but we're still waiting for his full formal assessment.)

Fire_Fox

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

I don't. But she has no core strength at all and core strength does help with the way you hold yourself and look. Which is why I asked if there was something I could do at home or whether it was something I should seek medical help about.

She doesn't really 'run' other than for school and generally running around and she is in primary so there is not a huge amount of running done there. When she runs at the club it'll be without shoes anyway.

I have noticed that all of her dads side have the same problem with their legs being this shape so I am guessing this is a hereditary thing she has but it is doing this activity that has highlighted it and so now I need to deal with it. At least it'll be dealt with before secondary school then.

Who has diagnosed her with having no core strength and what were their specific qualifications in postural/ gait/ movement analysis? If she did not she would not be able to stand up. Generally poor core strength is down to simple 'use it or lose it' over years of being sedentary or lengthy illness, does that apply here? Core strength is not hereditary, but structural issues or imbalances can be, flat feet have little to do with core strength. I work in lifestyle healthcare, postural analysis is not possible to do right without specialist training (more than just level 3 personal trainer).

She *may* be best to wear corrective footwear at all time when running, even at the club or at school, a professional will advise on this. Don't underestimate the strain on the body by running with poor posture especially on concrete or tarmac. Also be aware of the specificity of training, by doing an exercise repeatedly with incorrect posture you train this in by making more dominant muscles stronger and weaker muscles lazier.

Nicki

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Who has diagnosed her with having no core strength and what were their specific qualifications in postural/ gait/ movement analysis? If she did not she would not be able to stand up. Generally poor core strength is down to simple 'use it or lose it' over years of being sedentary or lengthy illness, does that apply here? Core strength is not hereditary, but structural issues or imbalances can be, flat feet have little to do with core strength. I work in lifestyle healthcare, postural analysis is not possible to do right without specialist training (more than just level 3 personal trainer).

That's interesting.

My DD who has autism and severe learning difficulties was diagnosed as having very poor core strength by her OT after a number of sessions using a range of equipment to meet her sensory needs. She was about 6 at the time and certainly didn't have a sedentary life style nor had she had a lengthy illness. She was certainly able to stand and walk.

Her main "signs" were that she wasn't able to sit in a chair, without "bracing" herself, either by putting her legs up on the chair or by slumping down in it. She couldn't stand still for even a short period, but she could jiggle around and move. She also couldn't do a lot of play in the OT sessions involving the swiss ball and different types of swings and balance equipment. There were probably others but these are the ones which were pointed out to me. She wasn't overweight though and didn't have a flabby tummy so you couldn't have guessed she had poor muscle strength in her belly just by looking at her.

Things are a lot better though since she discovered the trampoline and started using a Tripp Trapp chair at home and a specially adjusted chair at school to make her sit in the correct position for gradually increasing lengths of time.

I do agree of the need for specialist advice, but not with the advice that she can't have poor core strength if she is able to stand up.

Fire_Fox

Nicki wrote: »

That's interesting.

My DD who has autism and severe learning difficulties was diagnosed as having very poor core strength by her OT after a number of sessions using a range of equipment to meet her sensory needs. She was about 6 at the time and certainly didn't have a sedentary life style nor had she had a lengthy illness. She was certainly able to stand and walk.

Her main "signs" were that she wasn't able to sit in a chair, without "bracing" herself, either by putting her legs up on the chair or by slumping down in it. She couldn't stand still for even a short period, but she could jiggle around and move. She also couldn't do a lot of play in the OT sessions involving the swiss ball and different types of swings and balance equipment. There were probably others but these are the ones which were pointed out to me. She wasn't overweight though and didn't have a flabby tummy so you couldn't have guessed she had poor muscle strength in her belly just by looking at her.

Things are a lot better though since she discovered the trampoline and started using a Tripp Trapp chair at home and a specially adjusted chair at school to make her sit in the correct position for gradually increasing lengths of time.

I do agree of the need for specialist advice, but not with the advice that she can't have poor core strength if she is able to stand up.

Please read what I actually posted not what you think I meant. What I said was
"Who has diagnosed her with having no core strength and what were their specific qualifications in postural/ gait/ movement analysis? If she did not she would not be able to stand up. Generally poor core strength is down to simple 'use it or lose it' over years of being sedentary or lengthy illness, does that apply here?"
The first and second sentences referred to no core strength, the third poor core strength. You introduced the word can't. Illness was a poor choice of word on my part, health condition or complaint is more appropriate.

Interestingly from what you are saying 'use or lose it' may apply at least in part here, if you brace when you sit or slouch the postural muscles don't have to do any work and get lazy. Core strength is not confined to the stomach, it affects the sides and the back, many also include the shoulder and hip musculature. A sticking out stomach is not necessarily a sign of poor overall core strength let alone "no core strength at all" as the OP stated.

fluffnutter

Pilates. Great for building core strength. But she should ditch the club - sounds terrible.

mrs_sparrow

Just wanted to update, thank you for the replies.

I've spoken to a few people in my 'paranoid I am abusing my child' mode and they have all been disgusted and horrified at what my coach said. I've spoken to her PE teacher and her teacher, a TA and some friends about this - all have said the same as you all really (and I appreciate you can not see her) - my DD is not overweight and they should not have said this within ear shot of another child anyway. She also said something about one of the other students as well that more or less was the same thing, someone who I had never met and it was our first time there.

My daughter wants to do this so not going, is not an option as we have to be there for my son. There are usually other coaches - and in fact, the guy who was previously helping her for the first session was actively trying to help her, it was just this woman. If we are there and she wants to so something active instead of sitting on the sidelines they can bloody well teach her instead of complaining about her being too heavy - tough!! I am no longer embarrassed, just furious.

However, what has come up is that when my daughter runs her knees bang together, when she rides a bike her knees knock against the frame - so of course she does not do it. So I am taking her to the doctors about it (when I can get through, it's been engaged for over an hour now!!) and IF she has a problem we can get it sorted out. If you cannot run without hurting yourself then you are not going to unless you have to, are you.

Her PE teacher said that he had no issues with her fitness levels or her weight and she tried to do everything he asks.

Just really, really annoyed that this woman said this to her now.

Thank you for the advice.

daska

I would seriously consider making a complaint to the person who runs the club, especially if it's more than one child then the knock on effect of her comments/behaviour on the club's reputation isn't going to be welcomed.