Activity for high energy sensory 9 yo with dyspraxia

Your son sounds similar to my 8 year old son who has hf asd and sensory processing disorder. He got diagnosed at 3.5 years old and has had occupational therapy since then which has helped greatly. He still goes once a week and they’ve helped with finding ways to help him self regulate and get his needed input. We also have put him in multiple sports over the years which he also was resistant to and still is, but was trying to see if he would enjoy any of the activities. Most recent was skateboarding and martial arts both of which he wanted to do, but now on hold to take a break. Pallen’s Martial Arts in San Leandro has been amazing in understanding his special needs. A reward system has helped greatly in getting him to participate. We’ve implemented many over the years all depending on his preferred activities which have varied over time.

In 2020 we got him a small indoor gym since we weren’t allowed to go to the parks. Although costly we were able to use our FSA to pay for it since it was related to OT. We bought ours from Fitness Kid https://www.fitnesskid.com. It was hard to assemble, but we did it after 2-3 days. The instructions were like the ikea kind with pictures and in Russian. None of the parts were labeled which made it difficult. I’m sure there are other gyms as well. We had a trampoline when he was younger and large balls he could sit and bounce on in the house. We also bought a swing and attached it to his gym. While I’m always trying to find physical activities outside of the home to also help facilitate socializing with peers, I’ve found that starting with home solutions have helped him regulate to even get him to go to these activities plus the reward system. 

Also, check out E-sports which has many locations in the Bay. I’m still waiting for them to come back from being on hiatus from covid. They’re inclusive and created for kids with special needs, but also neurotypical kids participate. Its not competitive and they don’t care if the kids don’t follow rules. They want the kids to participate at their own pace. I missed the Hayward soccer spring season and hoping they’ll do basketball soon in Oakland. https://e-sports.org

Best of luck!

Have you tried Athletic playground in emeryville? I have not yet but am thinking about it. Looks like they have parkour and acrobatics for that age but also have play/open gym if parkour would be too challenging. Friends of mine go there with their neurodiverse kids and feel it’s a very supportive environment. 
 https://www.tapgym.com/

I liked parkour at Kids N Dance in Oakland for my 6 y/o. Teacher Beverly was so supportive and positive with kids of all ability levels and they cheered each other on. She’s not there anymore but if anyone hears of her teaching somewhere else I’d love to know. It felt almost like a super fun group OT session  :) 

Hope you find something great for him!

Pogo stick for around the house and backyard. Make a game out of it -- how many jumps in a row?  Can he go from one end of the yard to another, or back and forth.  Look up pogo stick trick videos on youtube.  I assume you don't have room for a backyard trampoline?  Can you take him to a skate park in the mornings with a razor scooter, if not a skateboard (and make games out of that too)?  I mean, if he doesn't like rule-based programs, you are going to have a hard time with an organized activity, at least for now.  You could also try setting up your own makeshift ninja course in the garage or backyard with a mini-trampoline, pull up bar, mats, climbing ropes etc (yes, we did this).  Time it, change it up.  Also, what about singing?  Find songs he likes and play those loud and sing while trying to exercise (or just sing).  Finally, find a movement OT program and try that.  They may have insights into muscle groups he is lacking and how to strengthen those with far reaching effects for his confidence.  Good luck

-Been there

I'm wondering if the swimming you tried was competitive / swim team, lessons, or just playing in the water? If you haven't already tried it, maybe consider letting him go swim purely for fun? I also have a differently-wired, very high-energy kid around the same age. He won't do lessons or compete in anything, but he LOVES to swim on his own terms, and it really wears him out. Maybe join the Alameda Swimming Pool Association so you can take him to swim during family swim times? Another activity our kid likes is climbing. You could inquire with local climbing gyms about a private introductory lesson to see if it's a fit. Good luck. It can be so hard to meet the needs of these kids, but so exciting to find something that gives them that confidence boost (and gets them tired)! 

Hi. My now young-adult son fits the description of your son. He enjoyed mixed martial arts and eventually excelled at it which boosted his confidence. I sought out a dojo with a friendly, warm atmosphere that had a play-based approach to the younger kids and general positive team-based vibe. It's in Redwood City, so far for you, but I would imagine there is something similar in Alameda or Oakland. I would avoid dojos that are military in vibe or approach (e.g., pledging allegiance to the flags, punishment for arriving late, any shaming behavior at all) or competition focused. Good luck finding a fit.

How about cycling?  My kid isn't a team sports guy but in middle school he got into Bike Life, which is basically riding around doing wheelies, going on ride outs, and a little bit of long distance and BMX.  Now he's a gym rat and into power lifting.  These are both pro-social activities, get kids out of doors (well, the biking anyway), let them show off skills, and are individual sports  without a lot of rules and competition.  You could also look into Trackers or something like it.

Hello!

Have you considered gymnastics? Bay Island Gymnastics is right over the Fruitvale & High Street bridges, across from Home Depot. A dear friend, whose son has dyspraxia, has reported really encouraging progress in him as a result of his (mostly solo) gymnastics experiece.

Wishing you and your son much success.

A repetitive type of exercise was really beneficial for a few kids I've known (including my son) with sensory and other issues. Doing the same motion repeatedly helped them self regulate. Some examples: kicking soccer balls, shooting street hockey pucks or balls, or batting from a tee into a net. Or, hitting buckets of golf balls on a driving range or into a net. I had the impression that the repeated impact with the ball was important to the sensory experience. A little instruction could help a beginner get started, or maybe someone in the family has a sport they enjoy and would share with your kid. We bought a pop-up practice net from a sporting goods store that held up well when my kids were the same age as yours. It didn't require as much space as I would have thought and did a good job of protecting my garden and the garage windows.