This is how we roll

We love to be busy. We always have something planned, things to do, places to go, people to see, and our kids are always happy to be along for the ride. And for Nathan, he REALLY likes to ride. He is 10-years-old and has autism. He also has hypotonia, or floppy baby syndrome. That means Nathan has severely low muscle tone and pretty much any type of physical activity is hard for him and wears him out quickly. He is also quite small for his age, so we’ve always been able to use an umbrella stroller for him, but he recently outgrew all of the strollers we could find. We figured he would just have to get used to walking- we were wrong!

Walking at the Bronx Zoo,

as you can see, he wasn't happy

We are members at the Bronx Zoo and go quite often. This spring, we made our first trip without a stroller, and it was nightmare. After about 45 minutes of walking, Nathan just couldn’t do it anymore. He sat down on the ground and couldn’t get up. We got a snack and hoped that would revitalize him- it didn’t. My husband, Jason, ended up having to carry him all the way back to the car.

Taking a break at Walt Disney World on a hot afternoon

at Disney's Hollywood Studios

This made me really nervous- we had a busy summer of day trips, and 2 vacations to Walt Disney World coming up, and I knew there was no way he would be able to make it. My mother and I started looking at wheelchairs for children. We found the Maclaren Major Elite special needs stroller. It holds people up to 110 pounds, folds up just like an umbrella stroller and is lightweight. It is pricey, but it sounded perfect, so we decided to give it a try.

Going through security at Six Flags Great Adventure

To say it is perfect is an understatement. He loves it! Not only does it help him with his stamina, it’s also a safe place for him if sensory overload starts to set in. When things get too loud, too bright, too hot or too anything else, he can retreat to his stroller. In the three months we’ve had it, we’ve used it at Walt Disney World, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, New York City, the Statue of Liberty, Six Flags Great Adventure and taken it through airport security. It is actually recognized as a wheelchair, so we can take it some places where strollers are not allowed, for example inside shows at Walt Disney World or inside the Statue of Liberty.

Strollers are not allowed inside the Statue of Liberty,

but we were able to bring this one, Nathan was thrilled

When we first considered looking for a wheelchair or special needs stroller for Nathan, we were worried he wouldn't like it, or would feel self-conscious. He has been nothing but happy, he is able to be with his family and enjoy different adventures without being completely worn out. If you’re looking for a stroller for an older child, check it out, it might be just what you’re looking for.