Kids With Special Needs

GoKid has received excellent reviews by Able Play®, an independent and nationally recognized toy rating company.

Able Play® is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys for children with special needs so parents, special educators, therapist and others can make the best choices for the children in their lives with disabilities.

Developed by the National Lekotek Center®, the leading nonprofit authority on play for children with disabilities, Able Play® will provide parents, and the professionals who work with them, access to the most useful, product-specific information about the top play and learning products and toys for children with disabilities.

For your convenience, we provide below their complete review of our Quadcoaster™.

DESCRIPTION

Physical (4 out of 5 Star Rating)

• The riding platform is wide and allows for easy foot placement.
• The Guide bar enables a child to be pulled by another person. This is beneficial for children who are stable to stand independently holding on, but may have difficulty with reciprocal leg movements to propel forward.
• Children can gain a sense of movement when they maintain a stationary position.
• The handlebars provide a sense of stability for the child. They can help support a child.
• The wide base and easy maneuverability can help build and increase self confidence.
• Riding the Go Kid can help a child who has physical limitations to keep up with friends who are typically developing when walking to the park or in the neighborhood.
• The base is low to the ground and wide, for increased stability.

• Hand strength can be increased as children use the hand brakes.
• Whole body strength and control are used and increased as children ride the Go Kid.
• Balance and coordination are used as children ride the Go Kid and use their leg to push and propel forward.
• Bilateral coordination is used as one half of a child’s body stays on the Go Kid while the other half moves outwards to propel forward through foot placement and movement.
• Depth perception can be practiced as children place obstacles, such as orange construction cones, in the middle of the play area and work to stop before they hit them.
• Children hone problem-solving skills as they learn how to break, move forward, bend their knees and lean towards a turn.

• Mark on the ground with chalk how far a child rode with three leg pushes and then coasting. Continue this with each successive ride. As children work harder, use their leg muscles more, the line drawn on the pavement will show their progress.
• Place various obstacles, such as orange construction cones, for a child to navigate around.

Sensory (4 out of 5 Star rating)

Description

• Children can gain a sense of movement through space as they ride on the Go Kid.
• Children who are visually impaired can enjoy ride-on play as they are led around by someone else pulling them with the Guide bar.
• The wide base and easy maneuverability can help build and increase self confidence.

• Proprioceptive input that a child’s body receives when riding the Go Kid can aid in better attention and focus during a cognitive task that is presented after.

• For a child with limited vision, use the Go Kid on a sidewalk with grass on both sides. Make sure there are no obstacles in his way.

Communicative (3 out of 5 Star rating)

• The Guide bar of the Go Kid helps a caregiver assist a rider who may be apprehensive to try. Additionally, the child can use the Guide bar to pull the adult rider. This can empower a child during play.
• The wide base and easy maneuverability can help build and increase self confidence.

• Proprioceptive input that a child’s body receives when riding the Go Kid can aid in better attention and focus during a cognitive task that is presented after.
• The Go Kid is an attention getting ride on, which can lead to children wanting to take a turn. Turn taking, sharing and patience are naturally negotiated during play.
• Give the child verbal cues as he rides, such as, “Use your hand brake,” or, “Push with your right foot.” Not only are the cues assisting in a successful ride, they are also helping a child work on receptive language.

• Have races with a friend riding a second Go Kid, another ride-on, bicycle or by foot.

Cognitive (3 out of 5 Star rating)

• The hand brakes provide a sense of control for the rider.
• The Go Kid is solidly built and can be used by children and adults. This helps young adults who still require and enjoy simple ride-on activities.
• The rubber tires provide a smooth, quiet ride.
• The rubber handle grips help maintain proper hand position on the handlebars.
• The front handlebar controls the front axel for turning.
• The Go Kid provides children with the opportunity for exercise, which can help combat childhood obesity.
• The riding platform is wide and allows for easy foot placement.
• The wide base and easy maneuverability can help build and increase self confidence.

• Proprioceptive input that a child’s body receives when riding the Go Kid can aid in better attention and focus during a cognitive task that is presented after.
• Children hone problem-solving skills as they learn how to break, move forward, bend their knees and lean towards a turn.
• Counting can be incorporated into play as children count how many seconds it takes them to get from point A to point B. Children can repeat this to try to beat their score.
• The Guide bar helps children feel what the Go Kid can do and how it moves. It helps a child make sense of the equipment. Gradually children can learn how to propel themselves forward on their own. Children can learn how to cognitively process and physically execute the steps necessary to ride the Go Kid.
• Children can learn how to cognitively process and physically execute the steps necessary to ride the Go Kid.
• The Go Kid enables children to work on core strengthening and balance. Children who have cognitive delays often have delays in motor development.

• Mark on the ground with chalk how far a child rode with three leg pushes and then coasting. Continue this with each successive ride. As children work harder, use their leg muscles more, the line drawn on the pavement will show their progress.
• Practice getting on and off the Go Kid as well as squeezing the hand brakes prior to riding the Go Kid.
• Have races with a friend riding a second Go Kid, another ride-on, bicycle or by foot.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

• Durable
• Tactilely Stimulating
• Inviting Due to Uniqueness
• High quality
• Promotes active play
• One-piece unit

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES PROMOTED

• Cause and Effect
• Action Concepts In/Out, Push/Pull, On/Off, Go/Stop
• Eye-Hand Coordination
• Problem Solving
• Hand and Finger Grasp
• Proprioceptive Input
• Gross Motor
• Balance
• Motor Planning
• Proprioceptive Input
• Bilateral Coordination
• Reaching/Arm Extension
• Foot Placement
• Weight Shifting
• Coordinated Movement
• Core Strengthening - Trunk Strength, Stability