Gym helps special needs kids

When Faith Grantley started going to Little Giggles Gym in term two last year she was shy and would lie on the floor.

Now the 2-year-old knows the circuit at the Palmerston North Gym Club and is more outgoing.

The gym, for special needs children aged 2-5 years, is run by Penny Linforth every Monday - currently with two 45-minute classes.

Faith's mother Karen Grantley says the muscle tone of children with Down Syndrome tends to be slightly weaker. The classes are a good way to build tone and increase flexibility.

Having to correct her balance and deal with uneven surfaces helps stimulate Faith's brain, as does the adventure.

Climbing ladders, negotiating the high beam and manoeuvring across monkey bars is also a way to channel Faith's energy, Mrs Grantley says.

Mrs Linforth has been teaching gymnastics for more than six years. She says children with special needs have the same balance, hand-eye and foot-eye co-ordination development requirements as other children.

"We've just got to catch them early."

She says the children's progress so far has been "huge" and parents notice changes at home. Due to the one-on-one attention given, class sizes are limited to a maximum of six children.

This term the children are concentrating on learning to jump. They crawl on their elbows under a parachute to build upper body strength and use a hoop to work on skipping technique.

There's a quiet corner with puzzles for the children as they start to get tired.

Mrs Linforth says she loves the work.

"Last year just went so fast, it just doesn't feel like a whole year has gone by."

* For more information on Little Giggles Gym, ring 354-8225.

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