Stroller for 10 year old

[jenny8484]

Hello! I have a trip planned for next year, and I have a son who will be 10 at the time of our trip (diagnosed with moderate to severe autism), I was wondering if there are any type of stroller, or any other option that would be big enough for him to sit in should he become tired from walking. Right now he is around 78 lbs so I know regular strollers will not cut it.

 

[lanejudy]

There are special needs strollers. Orlando Medical Rentals has the broadest supply of various styles that I've seen, so hopefully there is one that suits your needs.

When my DD outgrew her "baby" stroller, we got a Maclaren Major Elite. It is essentially a larger umbrella stroller; easy to fold, lightweight. It's pretty much no-frills, though there are some add-ons you can purchase separately (I'm not sure what a rental includes) like a canopy, underseat basket, etc. The weight limit went up to 110 lbs.

Another option is a pediatric wheelchair if he balks at the concept of a stroller. 10 is a tough age where they don't want to be seen as a little kid but not really big enough in size for adult.

 

[Hoodie]

When my son was around that age, we just rented the Disney double stroller. We found he preferred the plastic bench to the fabric enclosing him (too close and touched his skin), plus it was easier to pull himself into. He likes having the canopy as well to sort of block out some stimulation. That was the problem we found with a lot of the special needs strollers - as a more "umbrella" style, it lacked the "roof" that he needed to soften the overstimulation.

That said, it looks like Kingdom Strollers now has a special needs stroller with the canopy so he would have done well with that.

 

[tobikaye]

Depending on how tall your child is, also check that whatever you rent will work for his height, not just weight. My cousin went the special needs stroller for her son when he turned 6 since they did not need the double for his twin to ride as well and he was pretty tall. At just shy of 9, he would be uncomfortable in most traditional style strollers as he is taller than me now that he is 5' 1".