To buy my son a mobility scooter for Christmas?

[Christmasstockingsbythefire]

Would I be unreasonable to buy my son a mobility scooter for Christmas?

To give you abit of background my son has autism and for the past 5 years on birthdays and Christmas' he has only been asking for a mobilty scooter and nothing else .. hasn't yet got one, this means every birthday and Christmas he gets disappointed and doesn't show any interest in any of the gifts he does receive . We decided against a mobility scooter in the past because we thought it was just something he would get bored of within a few days, people's views and we were worried he was too young. My son is now nine years old and is still asking for a mobility scooter, he enjoys visiting the mobility scooter showroom that is local to us and loves exploring and looking at his grandparents scooters.. After this many years I am starting to think he must feel very strongly about his wish.

He would ride the scooter up to the family farm to help collect the eggs etc and also use it to deliver eggs around our local neighbourhood, as he often has to make two trips as he cannot carry everything on his own.

If you were in my shoes would you buy him a mobility scooter? Or wouldn't it be acceptable? It doesn't need to be an expensive one, he just wants one he can ride and with a basket.

Oh get him one! That's really sweet. Hope he has a wonderful Christmas. Have the video camera or phone or whatever out to capture the look on his face xx

As a mobility scooter user, I'm a bit err, confused by this OP. I want to be positive, but it's not really clear whats going on here. It can't really be that you just want to buy one as a toy can it?

Maybe it's nothing, but... is there an actual need for your child to use a mobility scooter?

What would be the benefit be for your child and his disability?

You mention that he could carry more eggs to deliver, which isn't something that sits right with me, unless there's more to it than you've said in that post. If it really is just a case of a child wanting to carry more stuff conveniently, with no link to any disability?, That isn't a reason to use a mobility scooter, as it's not his disability that would be stopping him carrying these eggs?!

He could just as well use a normal scooter, tricycle, bike or even an electric bike. Unless there is something specific that wouldn't allow him to use any of the other ways of getting around?

Do you know that you cannot get him a Class 3 vehicle, due to his age, right?

("The Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 prescribes as a condition of use that a Class 3 mobility vehicle user must be aged at least 14 years")

And have you checked out the capabilities of a Class 2 scooter?

They aren't made to go on farm tracks or any uneven paving. The clearance between scooter base and the ground is very low (1-3inches), as they are for people who cannot lift their feet high to get on. They are great in many ways to help someone remain independent but, well designed they are not! And certainly not as an off road kids vehicle.

They struggle to go up and down dropped kerbs in a town or city setting, and they get stuck going up inclines or ramps. They're not even properly waterproof (rain, puddles etc). Did you also know they are also massively heavy with all the issues that would bring.

Even on one of the most rugged class 3 scooters, I struggle to go across well tended ground such as in parks, eg grass, gravel, earthy paths etc. My scooter will get completely stuck on muddy ground, or bumpy ground, and I've needed two strong men to heave it out on a couple of occasions.

If you are thinking of getting it as some kind of toy, then no, it would be very wrong to do this.

Well if a 9 year old hits me with his bike I'm pretty sure it'd hurt a lot bloody less than a mobility scooter! Those things weigh a lot!

PigletWasPoohsFriend oh yes, sorry missed that about using it out and about. Well if it's illegal then that's that, he can use it on the farm.

Thankyou everyone for your opinions and comments, I am now even more worried about getting him one .. I think it's time to try and introduce him to a different mode of transport eg a trike or a go kart and try and explain it isn't always possible to get everything we want. I just wanted him to be happy and enjoy at least one Christmas but you have all made a lot of good points.

My son also has autism, so I do understand that intense interest and desire for things that may seem odd. It is certainly a trait of autism to get so fixated on something that it can border on a mania. But.... legal or not, I wouldn't get him a mobility scooter. When our ASD kids get strongly fixated on something, it doesn't mean they should have it. Think of the senses and feelings that the scooter covers, and look for ways to recreate that feeling in a safer way. An electric micro scooter? Take him go-karting? It could also be because he loves his GPs so much and he associates one with them? The thing is that if you get it for him, he will walk less, he will not have as much exercise, which is a big part of mental health, he will lose chances for social interaction because he'll be on a machine on his own. Even if he still has interaction, this thing will inhibit it. Don't bother with a tonne of gifts at Christmas, it can often be overwhelming, especially for children with ASD. Take him to an activity as his main present. I have not given in to my son wanting an iPad, even though again, all kids want them but particularly kids with autism are susceptible to getting too lost in their own worlds - which is not the best thing for them. If I have him an iPad he'd be lost to us for hours at a time, whereas now if he wants downtime he sits quietly in his room playing with Lego and comes back after a short while. I know it must be hard knowing that that's the one thing he so desperately wants, but once my Son's OT told us that his very strong obsessions could usually be placated by a sensory-similar counterpart, we've seen such an amazing change in him. Look behind the reasons of the obsession. Try to think of something that could give him the same feeling. He will already have barriers socially, don't add mobility scooter to it. Also, people will be rude and unkind. That is wrong and unfair, but they will be, and I don't think he will cope well with nasty remarks. It does sound fun in theory, and obviously if you do get one, that's your call. Just looking at it objectively I don't think it's a good idea

cakedup not really the same. There are no legal issues or issues of taste around your ds listening to audio books. Would it be ok for the child to wheel himself around in a wheelchair as well if he was interested in those? Wear hearing aids when he could hear perfectly well? Its understandable that the child doesn't see an issue with using a mobility scooter when you can walk - he has ASD and is 8! But I really think the op needs to guide him here.

Is there any way you could nurture the interest in another way? See if you can visit a place that makes them? Research the different types? Look at the manuals together etc?

I have a son with asd and I wouldn't trust him on a mobility scooter at such a young age. I've actually had my foot run over by someone on one and it wasn't a pleasant experience! They are invaluable of course to many but they are heavy and dangerous machines.

I do wish however that people would realise that asd does and can affect someone's mobility. Plenty of people (and children) with autism qualify for blue badges and the higher rate of mobility on either virtually unable to walk criteria (if for sensory overload reasons they are unable to walk in the usual way, or have related joint issues such as hypermobility and spatial awareness issues which go hand in hand with autism) or they may qualify under the severe mental impairment rule (dwp wording, not mine) that is a very tough criteria to meet but can be awarded if a person is a danger to themselves and others because of their learning difficulties or autism. A side note, of course but worth mentioning before everyone jumps on the asd doesn't equal mobility problem bandwagon.

What about a Sinclair C5? You could get a doer-upperer and make it a project. Or a golf cart as someone else suggested. It would still only be OK on private land though. Perhaps some sort of pull-along trolley/cart for delivering the eggs round the neighbourhood.

I think on private land it's fine but not on public areas. I am disabled and used to use a scooter I now use a wheelchair. Really it's no different than letting in non physically disabled child use a wheelchair.
Three of my dc have Asd so I do understand your thinking, but don't think it's appropriate in public.

I don't know if anyone has been to Benidorm, but over there hiring mobility scooters is a big business for the tourists. I imagine this started as it is a popular destination for Spanish OAPs in the winter.
However, there are now hundreds of able bodied, healthy adults and children who hire them for their holidays for fun.
This has lead to a huge number of hotels and bars banning them, and restricting where they can be parked, due to the sheer number and lack of space in places. Now obviously OPs son is unlikely to create this sort of ripple effect! However, seeing how difficult it now is for people who can't get around without one on that resort, due to them being seen as a toy, has probably had an effect on how I see this issue.
Glad to see you're thinking about it all OP, and I do sympathise with your problem here because of course you want to see your son happy. I hope you find a good compromise.

Are they any good off road? They don't look as if they are- so surely It wouldn't be much fun on the farm?

Is there some sort of kid's quad bike thing, or an electric trike that would be better?

It looks like it wouldn't be legal sadly, but if you have a lot of land I see no problem with him riding one there. Maybe you could get a second hand one for him to try out.

IF the child did have issues with walking a childs wheelchair would be more appropriate/safe than a mobility scooter designed for adults.

I saw an old lady tip over in the middle of the road, she nearly got hit by a bus and there was chaos as some men tried to get her upright. I think on the farm is one thing, out on the road/pavement I wouldn't do as I wouldn't feel it was safe.

It would be a 'no' from me. As disappointing as it might be for him (and I can fully understand it from a parent's perspective - I have a DC with SN and will do anything legal and within reason to make her happy) it won't do him any favours to give him a mobility scooter when he has no mobility issues. Also when you purchase a mobility scooter, the seller has a list of conditions, one of which has to be met before they sell it to you (I purchased one recently for an elderly relative)
Apart from it being illegal anyway, I would worry that I was setting him up for wanting one for the rest of his life - which I think would be a very bad thing to happen. All children, regardless of their problems or abilities, have to learn that they can't have everything they want, so it's not being cruel to deny him this. I know I might be coming over as insensitive, but you have to teach NT kids that they can't have everything they want, and we all want our SN children to be treated the same as NT children, so that should go for laws and rules as well as party invites.

As MiscellaneousAssortment points out, they are not waterproof, get stuck on ramps and don't work on uneven paving, topple at lowered kerbs. They will be useless on the farm.

Are they actually all that manoeuverable?

My dad has one & it seems a great heavy unwieldy thing tbh.

And on farm land-would it tip easily if it's bumpy?

And I don't think anyone is suggesting that ASD isn't a 'proper' disability. Just that if you can walk without issues you don't need to use a mobility aid. I know kids with autism that have mobility issues and they use adapted pushchairs/wheelchairs. My son has no issues whatsoever with walking so no more needs a mobility aid than he needs hearing aids for eg. Equally a person who was deaf, if they had no other disability, wouldn't need a mobility scooter despite them having a disability. The op has made it clear that the child wants the scooter for leisure use rather than him needing it to get around.

Please don't. I think the general population tolerates them as people with physical disabilities need them. If everyone who fancies them starts using them the pavements would be cluttered with them!

Leave them to the people who actually need them.

The number of posters using 'they're only for disabled people' as a reason to say 'YABU' highlights how few people consider autism and other invisible disabilities to be 'proper' disabilities

It's illegal, nothing to do with hidden disabilities.

Non physically disabled children do use wheelchairs. You can have mobility problems without being physically disabled.
I agree that the mobility scooter in this particular case is not a good idea.

www.fun4kids.co.uk/bikes-ride-ons/ride-ons.html

Have a look on here. I put Electric vehicles for 8 year olds into the search bar and there are a ton of things he could potentially have loads of fun with.

They do a tractor. I wish I wasn't too old for a toy ride on tractor.

I do understand your op. Clearly your son is obsessed with mobility scooters but I'm sure if you explain they are for people who can't move around very well due to age or disability then he hopefully he can have a look online with you and find a better alternative.