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Balance Equipment for Special Needs

Special needs with balance disorders often occur after strokes, head injuries, inner ear problems, anxiety or panic attacks, and vision-related issues. Individuals with balancing problems experience dizziness, fainting issues, and physical instability. Small children with special needs often experience balancing problems when they start toddling and moving around. Equipment for training balance and coordination skills for adults and children is available from special needs and gym gear suppliers, but should never be used without medical supervision or consent.

  1. Seesaws and Teetering Boards

    • Seesaws, teetering or balancing boards come in round or rectangular shapes and are either made of plastic or wood. When stepping on the board, it will move and users are required to use their balancing skills to keep the surface even. Balancing boards are available for adults and children and cost between $26 and $60 as of 2010.

    Balance Beams

    • Low balance beams are frequently used in gymnastics, but are an excellent tool to improve dynamic standing, balance, gross motor skills and coordination for people with special needs. Users are simply required to walk the plank without slipping off. Balance beams are available for adults in wood, and for children in durable plastic or foam. Prices in 2010 were $100 for children's beams and $400 for adult beams.

    Pedal Walkers

    • Pedal walkers consist of two pedals, four wheels and, dependent on skills and needs, side handles to hold on to. To get started, kids step on the pedals, grab the handles and make pumping movements with their feet to move either forward or backward. Using pedal walkers improves balance, hand-eye coordination and reflexes for special needs children; pedal walkers are not available for adults. The equipment costs approximately $80 as of 2010.

    Physio Balls

    • Physio balls are popular mainly due to the many possibilities they offer for use. The balls come in different size and are particularly suitable for people with severe disabilities and special needs as they can develop balancing skills with little effort by simply sitting or lying on the surface of the ball. Physio balls cost from $40 in 2010.

    Barrel Crawls and Rolls

    • Barrel crawls and rolls come as inflatable kits or in hard plastic and are specifically designed to challenge motor skills, coordination, and balance for people with a disabilities and special needs. Children or adults can sit inside or on top of the barrel and move the equipment by themselves, or they're rotated by someone else. As of 2010, barrel crawls and rolls cost between $300 and $400 and are available in child and adult sizes.

    Flotation Mats

    • Flotation mats are swimming pool exercise tools suitable for use by individuals with special needs, brain injury or severe physical disabilities. The mats, which can be adjusted for use by children and adults, provide flotation for balance training, coordination exercises, and relaxation therapy. Flotation mats were priced at $40 in 2010.

    Tricycles and Recumbents

    • Adults and children with balancing problems are usually prevented from using conventional bikes, but specially developed trikes, recumbents and bike-cars with three and four wheels will not only allow for greater mobility, but also provide a certain amount of balancing and coordination training. Trikes in 2010 started at $200, while recumbent bikes cost approximately $2,200.

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