Too big for stroller but where to hide

[treehugnmama]

my daughter is seven and is almost 90 pounds and is very tall. (off the chart for height) she has aspergers, spd, ocd and adhd.....somethings round out the others

we go to wdw in oct and are doing 1 day (.5 day each at dhs and epcot). seaworld and mnsshp.

Here lies my problem I can not push her in a stroller but she really needs one (only for wdw) for the following reasons: she will be in a sensory overload with smells sounds people etc. she goes in stroller to calm to avoid meltdown (most times) without stroller it will be one melt down after another. She goes in stroller and pulls the shade down so no one can see her and she sees no one. Also although she is 7 she is at a 4.1 YEAR OLD LEVEL FOR GROSS MOTOR SKILLS AND ENDURENCE. She is also very slow moving think snail My 4 year old ds and i can walk to the store in 15 min with my dd it takes an hour and that is with constant prompts which cause her to get very angry.

for the last 57 days we have went on daily walks and swims no change in endurence......so what do I do? I feel like renting a stroller is crazy (as my husband states) but it will not be fun with the sensory overload she also overheats. we always go in oct and bring misters, sunglasses noise cancelling head phones etc do i need to let go of the stroller or should i be looking at her like a 4.1 year old in which case i wouldn't think twice about getting it.

please no nasty stroller comments from people who have no experience with dissabilities...nice one welcome

 

[bidnow5]

I'm not much help but I do know there are strollers for children that will work some can hold as much as 130 pounds. Check the FRQ at the top of the disability board page. I'm sure someone will be along soon to better answer you

 

[SueM in MN]

You will find people who have been in your shoes here.

If you only want to rent at the WDW parks, your only options are a park wheelchair or a park stroller.

If she is very tall, a wheelchair will work for her, but there is not much adaptability for 'hiding' there. I suppose you could bring a lift sheet to pit over her, but it would have to drape over her head because there is no canopy or anything to drape it against.
Wheelchairs have sling seats and backs of a closely woven plastic-y material. The sling part is kind of like a directors chair. Some kids don't like he 'unfirmness' of it and others are OK with it. The park wheelchairs are heavy, but push fairly easily ( they are made for pushing adults much heavier than your child).

She is going to be too big for a single stroller, but may fit in a double. That would depend on just how tall she is and how adaptable she is to smaller spaces. They do have a retractable shade, although if very tall, she may bump her head. Park strollers are made of a smooth, firm plastic. Many kids on the spectrum like the park strollers because of the smoothness and the feel of the firm plastic against their skin.
The double strollers are light weight and push easily. The doubles can easily handle 90 pounds.

You will find information about the park rentsl strollers and wheelchairs in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, which is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature. You can save a little on per day stroller rental by paying up front for multiple day rental.

There are also companies that rent special needs strollers that an older child can ride in. There is information and links in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. That would be for more than one day, but you may find it useful to have a stroller at the resort and for other places you go.
If you rent one of those, you would also have it to get from the park to the bus (she would need to be out of it and it would need to be folded for the bus).

You could also rent a wheelchair from an off-site place to save a little money and have it available outside the parks.

 

[alizesmom]

Have you considered buying a special needs stroller. These work dor larger kids and some can be used as a nest where she can get away from the excess stimuli. Karen

 

[C&G'sMama]

I would highly recommend renting a stroller. We have rented the Liberty Special Needs Pushchair for our son from OSR. It's rated for up to 100 lbs. It is fine for a taller child. My son is also ASD and it gave him a place to chill while waiting in lines or just in general. It was a sanity saver for all of us, we just put as part of the budget. Despite the size it was very easy to maneuver, a little bulky to get on the tram, but we managed fine. We used it on 2 different trips

Here is a picture of DS in it. He was almost 7 and somewhere between 80 and 90 pounds when this picture was taken.

this past trip at 8 the stroller wasn't available so we rented a wheel chair.

A picture of him hiding, he didn't want to deal with people so he sat in the chair and put the cover down. I believe we were waiting for dinner at Garden Grill if my memory serves me right.

Good Luck

 

[brown1442]

I HIGHLY recommend getting a stroller!! Set yourself up for success rather than misery. Who cares how old she is or how big she is... if a stroller will help her be successful then go for it. A vacation is about having fun and enjoying time together as a family... its not about seeing how far you can push your daughters limits!!

You might even want to consider seeing if your insurance will pay for one of your own if she has that many ongoing issues.... just a thought.

My son has a stroller that we own and will be getting another (or a wheelchair... haven't decided yet) soon. He's 6.5 and has autism and a mitochondrial disorder so he fatigues VERY quickly (he can't walk around a grocery store). He also uses his stroller to get away from noise and chaos... its been a HUGE lifesaver for us!! We've taken it in concerts, restaurants, fairs, amusement parks... you name it!!

 

[treehugnmama]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone
and the pics c&gsmama dd would be very comfy in that stroller. I am not sure I can manage it on the buses. We have a maclaren for her from the last few trips but I just can't push it. Dh has herniated discs so he can't either. He said she has to walk but that is not realistic. It is hard because of her size /age people look and judge us but my dd wellbeing is more Important. I looked at Orlando rentals but the sn stroller looks so big! I can't imagine getting on the bus. We don't need it at the resort or the watermark days. Maybe I can just get away with a Disney double. I have seen lots of pics of them. How are they to push??

Do they run out of strollers? We are switching parks mid day. Thanks for the reassurance that it Is ok to get her one.

 

[treehugnmama]

Sue tanks for the wheelchair thought as well I never really considered that. Maybe my mom and dd could take turns in it as mother if them need it all the time but like you said it doesnt help the hide factor.

 

[peemagg]

You could use the rear door of the bus with the stroller instead of trying to bring it through the whole bus. You would just fold it after you get on.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

My daughter sounds very much like your daughter except she is now 11 5'4 and around 140 lbs, aspergers, adhd, not much stamina. Last years was the first year that we did not rent a stroller she was pushing 5' last year. We always just paid the $$ and gotten the strollers from WDW mainly the double strollers. We also have a son who is almost 10 also on the spectrum but size wise is the oppsite of my daughter while she has always been in the 90% he has been under 5%.

Long story short I would rent a stroller and not worry about any comments from others. I think one year I did overhear someone making a comment I just ignored them and went on.

 

[KristenFNJ]

While I'm not in quite the same situation, I have every intention of getting a double stroller for my 9 and 7 year old boys! (I can't seem to find weight restrictions on the website, I hope we can still get it or we'll be in big trouble!) Disney is exhausting, and if we have hope of seeing everything THEY want to see in the few days we're there, we'll have to suck it up and get them some time to rest and breathe. When they were 7/5 we had the stroller, they spent a good portion of the time in it-enough that I can say with confidence that it made our trip better, they were able to rest when they needed and were able to enjoy their park days more. All of us enjoyed it more, not only were they happier, we endured few meltdowns-that is a good thing for everyone!!!

I honestly couldn't care less if someone looks at me crooked, it's none of their business! If another guest wishes to or prefers leaving the park for breaks, or is better at motiviting their children's energy level, or is just plain better at handling their children's meltdowns, that's great. I, however, am going to put my grade school kids in a stroller. I know them, I know what they need, and I want them to have the best trip possible. If they don't want it, they don't have to have it... but they do!

I hope your DH will reconsider, I agree with other posters that your girl will have the best time possible if she's got the stroller as a safe haven. Consider that much of the time she may not need to be in it... in that case, it's a great cup holder. You mentioned you are unable to push her in a stroller... do you think you could do it part of the time? Do you have a good recall of your last trip, how much time she spent in it?

I TOTALLY agree with treating her at her adjusted age. DS2 has adhd, and the theory is to adjust your expectations of them to a child 70% of their biological age. And that's just for one existing disorder! I don't expect other people we encounter to know this, but there's no way they can possible understand what it's like to have a child with his challenges and therefore any judgement they may have is rendered irrelevant. I know it hurts us as parents when we do our best but the outward behavioral symptoms of our children's neurological disorders entice others to pass judgement... but we can't let that hold our kids hostage. Know there are parents out here who GET IT, and know that you're doing what's best for your girl! This is her vacation, and you're going to make it the best it can be for her!!!

 

[starshine514]

I would look into a portable wheelchair (my mom has one that folds rather compactly), the kind made to be pushed, and a sunshade cover for it. However, the cover may not give the full 'hiding' space needed, so you still may need to supplement with a sheet or something.

 

[Singledad]

get the stroller or wheelchair and don't worry about her age! if she doesn't do well walking, and your going to the happiest place on earth, why would you with hold something that would keep it happy for *everyone*. I know I loved using the stroller I got for my DD but it would be too small for yours. It pushed really easy because it was made for that weight and was a 'light weight' stroller, ie: no extras outside of seat and cover. no trays or anything like that.

Also, if you get/bring a stroller, do not forget to stop and get the stroller as wheelchair tag so you can bring the stroller into the lines and most buildings as well.

I can't tell you how much of a lifesaver this was for my daughter. She also has sensory issues and not only did it save her melting down, but also made it much nicer for those in line around her. (she likes to touch/hug/pull people, even if they are complete strangers.)

Never worry about what others think, just care about what is best for your kid and you.