The Benefits of Mini Trampolines for Special Needs Children
People in the rebounding community will tell you that there are numerous benefits to this method of fun, low impact exercise. The improvements to both cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, for instance, make rebounding with a mini trampoline the perfect choice for a high yield workout that remains gentle on the joints. The positive results achieved with consistent use of a kid's trampoline as part of a healthy lifestyle are pretty outstanding.
One aspect you may not be aware of is the impact a trampoline for kids can have on the lives of special needs children. With the plethora of physical, social, and emotional issues facing the parents and families of these kids, finding a device that not only improves overall health but also makes things more comfortable and more fun for everyone involved, can be truly life-altering.
How Special Needs Children Benefit
The compact size makes it an excellent fit for most households, where available space is often at a minimum. There is also the option of a detachable stability bar, increasing safety and improving balance for those who need assistance. With the addition of such helpful options, the mini trampoline has become a genuinely accessible tool, meeting all types of needs for all kinds of families. From children on the autism spectrum to those diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and anxiety, trampoline therapy has been shown to improve wellness in children with a variety of conditions and abilities.
For many families, introducing a mini trampoline for special needs children is an excellent addition to existing therapy programs. The use of the trampoline will not only aid in increasing overall physical fitness, but it also helps detoxify the body, boosting the immune system, and improving adrenal health. While these physical benefits are indeed excellent, those extra benefits that are specific to children with special needs are, quite simply, astonishing.
How to Use a Mini Trampoline with Your Child
With regular use of the trampoline, these children can achieve some fantastic physiological, social, and psychological results, impacting all areas of their lives. Therapy programs boast of benefits for social and spatial awareness, communication, independence, self-confidence, eye contact, and the list goes on. It has also been reported as a uniquely beneficial form of therapy for children with autism and sensory processing disorders. Symptoms of these disorders are often traced to a malfunction in the vestibular and proprioceptive neural systems. The vestibular system refers to how movement is perceived by the body through the inner ear. At the same time, the proprioceptive sense is related to the perception of motion by ligaments, muscles, and joints. With regular mini trampoline therapy, the body can learn how to process these signals, and can, therefore, improve body perception and function, as well as the child’s quality of life.
The Results Are In
While each child is different, and the level of success will vary from case to case, the resulting improvements in behavior, and both physical and mental ability, speak for themselves. Parents have been documenting their own experiences and success stories with mini trampolines and special needs children through videos like this one:
It’s pretty amazing to see the effects first hand.
The physical benefits of rebounding would be reason enough to introduce the sport to families with special needs children. However, once the additional emotional, biological, and social improvements are taken into account, the real benefits are almost immeasurable. The trampoline for a toddler is a fantastic asset to a successful therapeutic program and overall lifestyle of any special needs child.
