Accelerating motor skill acquisition for bicycle riding in children with ASD: A pilot study

Hawks et al. (2020) ran a 5-day iCan Bike camp for kids with autism. The camp used roller bikes, then real bikes, to teach balance and pedaling.

Fifteen children joined. None could ride at baseline. Staff gave 75 minutes of practice each day.

Every child learned to ride. Nine rode at least 70 feet without help by day five.

Parents also said their kids talked more and tried other playground toys after camp.

Tse et al. (2024) later showed that real two-wheel riding boosts thinking skills more than stationary bikes. Hawks gave the first proof that autistic kids can pick up the skill in under a week.

Oliveira et al. (2023) explain why this matters: better balance and object-control skills predict fuller participation at home, school, and parks. Hawks’ camp directly trains those exact skills.

Ketcheson et al. (2017) used 32 hours across eight weeks to lift gross-motor scores. Hawks got similar gains in just five days by zeroing in on one high-value skill.

You can run or refer families to a short community bike camp and expect most riders to succeed. The payoff is bigger than a new hobby: kids gain balance, confidence, and a free lifetime fitness tool. Track participation six months later; you may see spill-over into playground, PE, and peer games.