Background/Purpose: Youth with disabilities are less physically active than their typically developing peers. In addition, these youth become more sedentary throughout their lifespan. Bicycle riding offers youth with disabilities the opportunity to engage in social activities, independent travel and age appropriate physical activity. Despite these advantages, few youth with disabilities ever obtain the skill of independent two-wheeled bicycle riding. We examined the bicycle riding status of youth with Down syndrome (DS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who participated in a one week bicycle training intervention to determine those who retained this skill overtime.
Methods: Three months following the intervention, we surveyed 35 families who had a child with ASD and 21 families who had a child with DS to determine whether their child sustained independent bicycle riding skills.
Analysis/Results: Logistic regression was used to create a model to predict factors that influence continued riding success. We determined that body composition, leg strength, social responsiveness and amount of light physical activity were associated with increased likelihood of continued riding success at three months following the intervention. This statistical model predicted riding ability at three months post intervention with 82.2% accuracy.
Conclusions: Youth displaying these characteristics before participation in a bicycle training intervention are more likely to maintain the skill of independent riding over time. Continued riding throughout adolescence provides youth with the opportunity to gain social and physiological benefits associated with increased physical activity.