A new way to walk

You know how sometimes you just have a gut feeling about something and you need to follow up on it, well that is how Sophie has ended up with the Kidwalk in our living room.

Sophie has been using a gait trainer called a Pony Walker since she was 2 1/2 years old.  She knew just what to do the first time she was placed in it, she blew us all away and showed us that she was ready to roll, no hesitation.

Sophie's first time in the Pony Walker...

Sophie is growing out of her pony walker more and more each day.  We were thinking about getting the next size up, but I had seen the Kidwalk being used by children on some other blogs I read and I was sure that it would be a great fit for Sophie.

Nobody at our therapy centre had really heard of it and they didn't have any there to try out.  So I contacted our supplier to see if there was any way we could get our hands on one to trial.  It was a bit of a wait with only two for trialing in Canada.

But it is here, and we love it.  Sophie seems to be adapting to it quickly.

 Don't mind her crazy outfit ;)

The Kidwalk keeps her quite upright compared to the pony walker.  She is taking actual walking steps as we move her slightly forward while she learns how to move in it herself.  In the pony walker Sophie tends to push herself forward with 2 feet at once.  She does a great job of moving herself where she needs to go, but it is an adapted movement, not a typical walking gait. 

The pony walker will always be our first love, because it changed her world.  It changed her world in so many ways.  But, she is a big girl now and she needs the extra support that the Kidwalk offers.  It also allows her to bear some weight on those long legs.

I can't wait to see where Sophie decides to walk with her new wheels.