Wobble Boards

A place to talk about your experience of living with Dyspraxia

Moderator: Moderator Team

Are wobbleboards any help with dyspraxia?

yes, without a doubt
0
No votes
yes, it has given me/someone I know better balance
0
No votes
I am still trying, please ask in a week or so!!
1
20%
I have got 1 on order
0
No votes
no, stay well clear it is a market gimmic
0
No votes
no, without a doubt
0
No votes
I haven't even thought about it
2
40%
I want to see how this poll goes first
2
40%
 
Total votes: 5

Shadwell
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Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Wobble Boards

Post by Shadwell »

are they just a gimmic? or is it worth investing in one for dyspraxia?

I would like to hear from people that have actually used one, and those thinking of buying one

as all I can find on the web is possible so called tests

what is your opinion? I have left the poll open for others to see, and cast their vote, there are loads of answers, and I don't pay to get good answers sorry!!

there are loads of answers sorry, due to the fact everyone interested in this subject will want to get the nearest answer possible!

and sorry to all the new people visiting this page, but at the moment the pole has only just started so there isn't a full picture on whether to get a wobbleboard yet, unless you want to get one and give us feedback, I will be ordering mine on Tuesday 9th January, so I can't give feedback myself yet
Greg
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Post by Greg »

Wobbleboard?
Is it what it sounds like? (a board you stand on that wobbles in order to help develop balance) If it is being marketed they're not marketing it very well ;)
rah
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Post by rah »

yeah, it's like a round wooden board with half a sphere on the bottom, you stand on it, it wobbles and you have to try and balance it.

we have them in my school for sensory integration, as well as lots of other pieces of equipment but i've never had the chance to have a go so i don't really know how beneficial they are.

i do know that a lot of emphasis is being put on sensory integration for people with dyspraxia/autism/adhd etc though and apparently it can work wonders, but i don't think that it's organised or implemented particularly well in the school i work in.
Shadwell
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Post by Shadwell »

hi, thanks for putting post's on here, and thanx rah for answering the question,

sorry, I thought everyone would have seen a wobble board, or even heard about them, I only knew about them from watching a segment on "This Morning" about 2 and a half years ago.

and only after that I found out that I had been diagnosed as being dypraxic some years earlier, but never told.

yeah, wobble boards according to the speciallists on the segment said "that they are good for balance, and posture" I would like to hear from people that have actually tried them, and what they thought. because people that have actually tried them, can give us a clearer idea, of whether it is worth spending the money

mainly because my balance is actually getting worse, I am finding more difficulty getting upstairs to my flat. and walking on un-level ground. and sort of hoping it might help with my balance.

after all I used to be able to jog upstairs, but the last 4 or 5 years my balance has got worse, to the point I have got to take one step at a time, and hold onto the banister, and the wall
jme
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Post by jme »

Hi Shadwell. welcome to the boards.

I don't know if this is what you want to know but i used to have a balance board when i was younger as part of my physiotherapy regime (this was some time back - 15+ years ago!). My dad made it for me from an old rolling pin and a large chopping board (looking thing) we had lying about. (you know, the pin was under the board which made it go back and forth...etc.. etc.) we called it a balance board. I used it under supervision, and my physiotherapist used to instruct me with how to use it and what i had to aim for. It was a while back and I never really gave it too much thought... I think physiotherapists have been using boards like this since the dawn of time.

It was just one activity they used to help me with my balance... i used to have this GIANT (for a kid) orange ball that they used to put me on and roll me about as a tiny tot (2-3yrs old) to teach me how to balance.... apparently the breeze of someone walking past used to blow me over!

Its hard to say whether it helped or not because its hard to isolate exactly what helped and what didn't. I'm sure my parents would say it helped. Point is, like with anything, you gotta use it correctly if you want it to help.
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
Shadwell
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Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

hi jme,

thanks for sharing that with us, and thank-you for the welcome

yeah diy (do it yourself), isn't a bad idea to making things cheap, and nice to hear that you did get some help with it, ie. pro help! instead of a gp not doing anything!

which is how I was treated until I changed gp's when I was 17 or 18
jme
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Post by jme »

no probs Shadwell! just make sure the rolling pin is attached properly to the chopping board :lol:

Yeah, its really awful how people with dyspraxia and similar disabilities are treated by the medical profession.

The only reason why i got therapy was because i was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy (which is easier to diagnose, but almost the same situation). However, my experience with the school system and medical system is much the same as other people on this board. complete lack of understanding... they think its nothing. After coming to this board i realise how lucky I am that i actually got a diagnosis (and very early) and i did get intevention. I can't imagine what things would have been like without it.
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
Shadwell
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Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:24 am
Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

very true, like some people still haven't been diagnosed, which I think would be worse again, than having it stuck somewhere in a medical file getting a bit dusty!!

I was just lucky that I was playing my pc with my tv as background noise when they done about dyspraxia, as my mother had seen it, but I hadn't seen it that day, I think I was out driving somewhere!! which I used to do a lot of the time.
Shadwell
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Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:24 am
Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

well I finally ordered my wobbleboard tonight, which will take 5 - 7 days for delivery.

and let people know when it arrives, and how many times in 10 mins I fall off! probably be 600 times!!

Mike
Esioul
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Post by Esioul »

Let us know how it is. I think I may have used such equipment at some stage when for a short while I had physiotherapy, but my balance was (and probably stil is) too poor to use such things. I did however manage this kind of skateboard thign which I lay on and scuttled around using my hands.
Daniel
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Post by Daniel »

Let us know how you get on with the wobble board, Mike. I must admit when I first read the thread I had images of Rolf Harris singing 'Tie me Kangaroo down' :P
Shadwell
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Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

don't remind me, louise!! I done that when I was in school, as my balance wasn't that good.

this it the weird thing, but couldn't use rollerskates, but I wasn't too bad at standing on iceskates! try to work that one out! and that was without holding onto the side of the icering!!

the only thing I used the side of the icering for was help in propelling myself forward!

felt a bit embarresed being 20, and not being able to leave the side of the ring for longer that passing someone though!!

as to you dan, then I think rolf would be singing something worse than that, like 2 little boys (re-mix)!!! wasn't a bad song, but I don't want to think what the remix with rap, or rav music would be like!!!
jme
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Post by jme »

tie me kangaroo down sport... tie me kangaroo down.. woble woble wolbe SPLAAAAAAAAAAT (and there goes the dyspraxic).

good luck with that.... even if you just go from side to side trying desperately not to fall off.... lol, now the memory comes back!

YOu can also try an excersise ball. there are things you can do on that for balance. PLUS it doubles as a foot rest and spare seat!

Anyway... Shadwell, do you ever sleep???????????????????????? 8-[

my excuse is that i live in upside down country... where its daytime now... how does that work again??? :-k #-o #-o #-o #-o ...tie me kangaroo down... SPLAT
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
Shadwell
Moderator
Posts: 932
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:24 am
Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

hi jme,

sounds like you and dan got together on his travels!!

here is some info for you on the bloke!:

"But did you know that Rolf's a Welshman? The legendary artist, singer, wobbleboard player and all-round renaissance man's grandfather was also a painter, and lived in Wales. The Rolfster's parents were Welsh-born, and lived in Cardiff and Maesteg before emigrating down under."

but what I also found was: "Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris trained at City and Guilds Arts School in Kennington, London, in the early 50s." so the above statement is only partially true!

So I had to edit this message, hope you enjoyed the bit of info I have shared now!!

as for sleep, then it depends on the weather!! as my sleeping pattern is everywhere, even when I was little.

Mike
jme
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Post by jme »

Thanks for sharing! So an Australian whose family came from wales. think hes been living your way for a while now too...

Yeah, my sleeping pattern is crazy (and has driven me crazy)... .been like that all my life. find it hard to get to sleep. thank goodness for pretty coloured pills... :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
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