Ok, I didn't know where to start this thread but figured here would be the best spot.

I've been teaching a 16-year old since September. She is a nice girl (pleasant and follows directions) but has a musculo-skeleto dysfunction along with mild retardation (it's very mild).

We are doing very well (better since she got her own skates and the support they give her) with everything up to "skating"

My issue-getting her to shift her weight to one side and glide on one foot. This is in preparation for "skating". She will do a two-foot glide then step wide, then bring her foot in; repeat. She can glide on one foot for a short time (very, very short because of balance issues). I had her go along the wall and 'toe-push' and while it helped her there, the minute we left the wall, she was back to wide-stepping. There is no one else at the rink that has ever worked with mildly retarded kids-just me but it was always under the direction/guidance of an occupational therapist.

any advice or ideas?

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

No real advice, since I've never been in this situation. Just brainstorming here... Can she stand on one foot off the ice? Maybe you could do some off-ice drill. Or, could you maybe use a kilian position and try stroking with her? You could even put music on and call it beginning ice dance. Maybe she would trust being on one foot if you were partnering her.

Probably allowing her to skate while you hold her arm would be your best bet, at least until she finds her balance.

I know that ice-skating, like ballet, is one of the recommended activities for people with dyspraxia (which is what it sounds as if your skater has); at least one rink here holds special classes for people with just that sort of challenge! Not at all easy for them, but then, it's not an easy sport for anybody!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I have not worked w learning-challenged children, but I have noticed many children will not bring their feet together. I have had several beginners who can basically skating around in a public session via toe pushing, but they have a very wide stance and will not bring their feet together. I think they have a bad habit from public skating w/o lessons. They learned to skate on their own and developed this habit. I have also seen many beginning LtS kids who have a lot of trouble balancing on one foot. It seems to be the first gate through which they must pass to become a skater.

I make a game of it. I have then march in place lifting knees high and try to count 1 hippopotamus second w the foot raised. I draw lines on the ice and have them try to hold a glide between the lines. They hold their glides as long as possible counting hippo secs and report how many they did. Much praise given. These games get the kids to really like the 1-footers. Maybe your student will like this approach.

Kay

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Ummm, I know it's just a politically correct thing, but, please, don't use the term "retard" or "mildly retarded" for kids with learning challenges. I work with children with learning challenges, including developmentally delayed, and they know the meaning of "retarded" and such like, and they are hurt by it.

As for strategies: look for LDOnline resources. All of the forms of developmental delay have strategies galore, including ways to overcome kinesthetic challenges.

Asking the parents is a good suggestion. Most kids with diagnosed learning challenges have parents who are very knowledgeable about the kids preferred learning style; some are visual learners (a good skater could demonstrate and they can watch and copy), some are bodily/kinesthetic (move them around physically), some are verbal learners (lift this foot. Put it on the blue spot. Lift this foot. Put it on the red spot). Every one is different.

This would be my question--how's her balance off-ice? If she doesn't balance on one foot well off-ice, you've got an uphill battle ahead of you.

I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying "retard". I guess I'm from the old-school where we use to say mental retardation.

I will check her balance off-ice if I get a chance, she is always on ice (she is my 2nd class) and is doing ok as far as swizzles.

I would like to hold her hand, but she prefers not to so we did compromise ans went along the wall and she barely used it for support (her other foot toe-pushed while she was gliding).

I'll brainstorm some more. I know I will have to get her to skate with her feet CLOSE together and that is challenge #1. Some of the other suggestions look great. Thanks guys!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Nor did I mean to offend anyone. I will edit my post.

Kay

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I am going to drop an email to one of our former ice dancers-I think she might respond with some advice for step exercises (egads! I still have a huge scrape on my boots from ice dance class from when my partner and I got a little too close!) But we won't be doing anything soooo close or drastic!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

It's so nice to just sit back and not have to be the PC Police ... *whistles*

S@D - can she march? If so, I have two drills I use with older beginners that seem to work well at getting them to shift feet.

Suggestion #1:
Have her march on a hockey line, keeping both feet on the line. (Obviously, use a wide red/blue line.)
Then, have her do every other set of steps OFF the line.
I use the verbal cues of "March together...march wide"
I use this before I teach swizzles because it helps them learn how to pull feet apart and then back together. Also teaches weight shift.

Suggestion #2:
Draw a sidewalk on the ice - just two parallel lines with a few perpendicular lines to make sidewalk squares. Have her switch feet as she skates from square to square. This might be a bit too challenging at first.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but it's been several years since I taught a special skater. I didn't see anything on the Special Olympics site, but you might want to contact their local agency to see if they can give you some guidance. They were wonderful when I coached SO skaters in NJ years ago.

The ISI used to have a manual for teaching special skaters. It was more than just the skills tests (which the USFSA also has a track for), it actually talked about setting goals and such. Can't find my copy; I might have given it away. If you call or email them, they might be able to help.

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She can march and do basic stroke skating, 1/2 swizzle pumps on a straight and circle.

I tried several things with success:
-using the WIDE center-line had her skate (any method she preferred) and stay inside the line
-along the wall, one-foot glides...we used the wall so she would feel more secure; I had her feel the difference between LEANING on my hand as she shifted weight, then shifting her weight without leaning
--she managed to shift her weight and glide correctly, barely resting her hand on my arm

for homework, I suggested that she practice standing on one foot and place the other in front, balance, then behind, balance. Switch feet. She seemed very receptive. She is a very pleasant young girl and I look forward to teaching her every week (as I do all my students, but she is my oldest and tallest to I don't have to bend over to talk to her )

I am going to call ISI next week and ask about the program for special skaters. I just ran out of time....

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!