My 7 year old with Down Syndrome & Moderate Intellectual Disability (or MR depending on source) will be going to a therapeutic horseback riding program from school once a week. (starting today....and we only learned last night that he will be riding in a car, not bus as originally planned). He is the only kid from his school, but there are a few kids in neighboring schools (we were originally told the bus would come pick him up then go to the other schools - ours is the farthest away from the riding center, it's actually in the next town over....guess they decided the bus isn't going to travel out to us for just one kid).
Today I dropped him off with a high-back booster (Cybex - not at all ideal for carrying back and forth to school, it's heavy. Just what we had). I was hoping to be able to install his carseat for him, but they didn't know yet what vehicle he'd be riding in. (and may or may not be the same one to go there as to come back to school after).
He *will* unbuckle the seatbelt (approximately every 2.5 seconds!), and try to open doors or climb in the front. His aide is supposed to go with him - I've asked her to lock the seatbelt and make sure the child lock is on, on the door nearest him.
Is that the best we can do? I have an RSTV, but I'm not sure it'd be used correctly. Esp if they end up deciding his aide could do other work during that time, or if different people ride with him on different days. (they do trade out during the regular day/week sometimes). Also not certain his main aide would do it right either.
I'm also nearly certain that a harnessed seat would not be installed well, esp. the bigger ones that he needs. (He's 41-42 lbs, and 45" tall; rides in a Nautilus and Frontier85 in our cars; in the Nautilus he's on the top slot w/ an inch, maybe 1.5" to grow already)
The school had said they'd have a carseat for him...but I've seen the car seat sitting in the bus room and pretty sure it expired before he was born... almost certainly a 40 lb limit and way too short for him. Did not see exactly what they planned to use on him, just figured better to bring our own.
I would definitely like to get something easier to carry. For me, but also for his aide if she ends up carrying the seat and trying to keep track of the kid (who does run sometimes, and refuses to stop when told). She's a smaller lady, the cybex might almost weigh as much as she does.
But what? A LBB would be easiest to carry back and forth. Not sure there's a huge difference in safety between high or low-back. Biggest thing is that someone sits with him to keep him buckled. (He unbuckles in the RSTV too, not sure he could actually get the seatbelt out of the vest, but doesn't matter if it's not buckled in. Also a slight bit easier to reach the buckle in the vest than in the booster). He cannot undo a 5 pt harness. But there again, if it's not installed well, it's mostly useless too.
I'd also rather not spend a ton, since it'll be 1 day a week, 3-4 days a month...and not sure how long he'll keep going. (depends on his behavior there, plus funding for the school to continue the program).
Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
[driving him myself is not an option - I'll be working when he's in the program. If school couldn't/wouldn't provide transport he would not be able to go.]
Today I dropped him off with a high-back booster (Cybex - not at all ideal for carrying back and forth to school, it's heavy. Just what we had). I was hoping to be able to install his carseat for him, but they didn't know yet what vehicle he'd be riding in. (and may or may not be the same one to go there as to come back to school after).
He *will* unbuckle the seatbelt (approximately every 2.5 seconds!), and try to open doors or climb in the front. His aide is supposed to go with him - I've asked her to lock the seatbelt and make sure the child lock is on, on the door nearest him.
Is that the best we can do? I have an RSTV, but I'm not sure it'd be used correctly. Esp if they end up deciding his aide could do other work during that time, or if different people ride with him on different days. (they do trade out during the regular day/week sometimes). Also not certain his main aide would do it right either.
I'm also nearly certain that a harnessed seat would not be installed well, esp. the bigger ones that he needs. (He's 41-42 lbs, and 45" tall; rides in a Nautilus and Frontier85 in our cars; in the Nautilus he's on the top slot w/ an inch, maybe 1.5" to grow already)
The school had said they'd have a carseat for him...but I've seen the car seat sitting in the bus room and pretty sure it expired before he was born... almost certainly a 40 lb limit and way too short for him. Did not see exactly what they planned to use on him, just figured better to bring our own.
I would definitely like to get something easier to carry. For me, but also for his aide if she ends up carrying the seat and trying to keep track of the kid (who does run sometimes, and refuses to stop when told). She's a smaller lady, the cybex might almost weigh as much as she does.
But what? A LBB would be easiest to carry back and forth. Not sure there's a huge difference in safety between high or low-back. Biggest thing is that someone sits with him to keep him buckled. (He unbuckles in the RSTV too, not sure he could actually get the seatbelt out of the vest, but doesn't matter if it's not buckled in. Also a slight bit easier to reach the buckle in the vest than in the booster). He cannot undo a 5 pt harness. But there again, if it's not installed well, it's mostly useless too.
I'd also rather not spend a ton, since it'll be 1 day a week, 3-4 days a month...and not sure how long he'll keep going. (depends on his behavior there, plus funding for the school to continue the program).
Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
[driving him myself is not an option - I'll be working when he's in the program. If school couldn't/wouldn't provide transport he would not be able to go.]
