Handicapped student needs our help!!!

[michaelyoung254]

I'm sorry that this is so long, but one of my 8th Grade students has a muscle degeneration problem in his legs which causes him to easily lose his balance and fall (he doesn't use any type of braces or walker). Whenever he falls, he generally drops down onto his knees, and this is where the real problem lies. He hits his knees pretty hard, and often tears the skin. It's very embarrassing for him anytime he does fall, and not too long ago, he came to my class from the nurse after a fall. He was in pain because he had torn the skin on his knee again, and was doing his best to hide the fact that he was crying. Later I took him aside, and told him that I knew of something that might be able to help. I told him about the armor that motorcyclist wear for protection while riding, and that if his Mom could make some pockets on the inside of his jeans, he may be able to get some knee pads that he could insert into the pockets which would provide some cushion if he falls, and would prevent him from tearing the skin. (He is very self-conscious about appearing "normal", and really doesn't want anything that other students can see.) He came to me the other day and told me that he had talked with his mother, and they would like to know where they could get the knee pads.

Now I'm in a jam, and I need your help! I KNOW that I've seen knee pads (inserts) that are inserted into a pocket sewn into a pair of jeans before, but now I can't find them anywhere. Does anybody know what I’m talking about, and where to find them?

[sandy]

My guess is to go to Joe Rocket's website (or Cortech) and order replacement knee armor. It could be cut down to fit a smaller knee pocket. Tucker Rocky sells these products to retalers. Go to an MC accessory store and look them up. They can order it for you.

[chrise2469]

Here's a couple  links to several sets:
http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/armor/elbow_shoulder_knee:_installs_in_apparel/
http://motorcycle.motorcycle-superstore.com/motorcycle/Knee%20Armor

I've oredered from both vendors ok.  YMMV.

Good luck helping your student.

[Farther]

Here is some from Aerostitch:  http://www.aerostich.com/pad-set-for-the-aerostich-arborwear-gusseted-canvas-pants.html  In addition, I have worn WalMart neopreme soft knee braces under my pant that provide a lot of protection when kneeling.  

[YoungPUP]

BDU.com, these are designed to slip into the knee pad pockets on the new generation Bdu pants. Very lightweight. Used them for hazmat kneeling next to trucks, tanks etc. Very lightweight, but very effective. Even in gravel etc. and cheap $10 so not a problem to do 2-3 pairs of pants
http://bdu.com/blackhawk-slip-in-neoprene-kneepads
Can be cut down too.

[MacDragon]

He doesn't nessesarily need MC specific pads... They are kind of expensive considering what they are... His mom can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get painters or carpet knee pads and cut them down to size for the pockets she makes.. Very inexpensive.  Cheep pairs are only a few bucks.  For his purpose, I think that would work just fine.  For that matter... she could just sew in layers of cloth to cushion the fall.  
Just my .02 and worth just as much.

[Gear Jammer]

PM sent

[Walküre]

-Mike - I agree with the tile setters foam knee pads, cut down to size. Cheap and effective.

But, what your student needs to know, is that he IS normal!! Just as the person with extensive burn scarring, loss of a limb, polio, or any OTHER ailment. Normal is in the mind - the physical is just that, physical. Without the mind, NOTHING else matters, no other body part or function, can THINK! And the ones that chide him for his handicaps, THEY are the ones that are abnormal. I hope he learns this, he will appreciate WHO he is, not WHAT he is, and be able to handle anything that is thrown at him.

Great thing you are doing!

If his mom isn't a tailor, I'm sure you can do some calling, and find someone who WILL put pockets in his jeans, for free. And you want to make sure they are on the INSIDE, so the heartless kids can't poke fun at them.

Roger

[michaelyoung254]

-Mike - I agree with the tile setters foam knee pads, cut down to size. Cheap and effective.

But, what your student needs to know, is that he IS normal!! Just as the person with extensive burn scarring, loss of a limb, polio, or any OTHER ailment. Normal is in the mind - the physical is just that, physical. Without the mind, NOTHING else matters, no other body part or function, can THINK! And the ones that chide him for his handicaps, THEY are the ones that are abnormal. I hope he learns this, he will appreciate WHO he is, not WHAT he is, and be able to handle anything that is thrown at him.

Great thing you are doing!

If his mom isn't a tailor, I'm sure you can do some calling, and find someone who WILL put pockets in his jeans, for free. And you want to make sure they are on the INSIDE, so the heartless kids can't poke fun at them.

Roger

I appreciate the advice, and I'll go give those a good look. I really didn't think about those too much because the only ones that I've ever seen had a hard plastic shell attached to them. I'd be worried about the hard plastic shell because without it being held directly to the leg, it's possible that if he fell, and didn't land just right, that the shell could hurt him just like not having anything at all.

[Walküre]

I was a hardwood flooring contractor for years - we'd put the foam ones, inside the hard ones you mentioned. Made it nice an cushy, and I've never had knee problems, even after up and down on them, thousands of times a week. Think you'll find them just right.

Roger

[michaelyoung254]

I was a hardwood flooring contractor for years - we'd put the foam ones, inside the hard ones you mentioned. Made it nice an cushy, and I've never had knee problems, even after up and down on them, thousands of times a week. Think you'll find them just right.

Roger

Does Home Depot or Lowes have those? If not, where can I find them?

[MacDragon]

I was a hardwood flooring contractor for years - we'd put the foam ones, inside the hard ones you mentioned. Made it nice an cushy, and I've never had knee problems, even after up and down on them, thousands of times a week. Think you'll find them just right.

Roger

Does Home Depot or Lowes have those? If not, where can I find them?

He doesn't nessesarily need MC specific pads... They are kind of expensive considering what they are... His mom can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get painters or carpet knee pads and cut them down to size for the pockets she makes.. Very inexpensive.  Cheep pairs are only a few bucks.  For his purpose, I think that would work just fine.  For that matter... she could just sew in layers of cloth to cushion the fall. 
Just my .02 and worth just as much.

As I had mentioned here ^ ... I've seen them in both stores.  Made of hard foam type substance for flooring contractors, carpet installers, painters etc.  There are very cheap ones (which would work fine) up to fairly expensive ones.  Most all of them have elastic to put around the leg at the knees.  The elastic can be cut off for the sewn in application... and she can shave them down to fit him better under the pant legs.  He probably doesn't need much padding... just enough to cushion the times that he does fall to protect the knees.  He's not going to be crawling on them as they are intended for.

Good luck with your search.

[Piper]

One idea, which is used for padding in the SCA, is what we called Smurf skin.
Found in your local MegaloMart in the camping area, blue bed roll padding. A inexpensive roll of closed cell padding that can be cut, shaved, and formed in what ever shape you need.

SCA: Society for Creative Anachronism

[Skinhead]

Go to a sporting goods store and have him buy a pair of football pants to wear under his jeans with the knee pads in only.

[Karen]

How about some velcro in the pants to hold the kneepads in place? Just a strip top & bottom should do.

[hubcapsc]

Here is some from Aerostitch:  http://www.aerostich.com/pad-set-for-the-aerostich-arborwear-gusseted-canvas-pants.html  In addition, I have worn WalMart neopreme soft knee braces under my pant that provide a lot of protection when kneeling.  

I have a pair of the Aerostich jeans with pads... the pads are pretty noticeable...
when I wear them to work, I take the pads out as soon as I get there rather than
clunk around in them all day long...

-Mike

[michaelyoung254]

I'd like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all who responded MacDragon, Walküre & Piper, Ya'll had some great ideas. I went to our Home Depot here in Hooterville (Huntsville) to see if I could get the pads that MacDragon & Walküre had told me about, but the only thing that they had was some that were a very dense type of foam that were curved way too much. I don't think those would have worked like I was hoping for. So much for that idea, so I went to Wallyworld to see if they had the "Smurfskin" as Piper had suggested. They had it, and it wasn't too expensive so I decided to go that route. I figured that I'd go ahead and get some heavy duty scissors to cut it with. When I got over to the tool isle (my favorite place in Wallyworld), I stumbled onto some knee pads that had a "Gel" pad with a hard plastic shell or foot, but the shell was sewn on. I got these, and then cut off the shell, and their going to work exactly like I had hoped, and like MacDragon & Walküre had described. I also picked up the material, and other stuff need to make the pockets to hold them. Now all I need is for Kitty (my better half!) to make the pockets. If they keep him from hurting himself, it'll all be worth it.

[sugerbear]

I'd like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all who responded MacDragon, Walküre & Piper, Ya'll had some great ideas. I went to our Home Depot here in Hooterville (Huntsville) to see if I could get the pads that MacDragon & Walküre had told me about, but the only thing that they had was some that were a very dense type of foam that were curved way too much. I don't think those would have worked like I was hoping for. So much for that idea, so I went to Wallyworld to see if they had the "Smurfskin" as Piper had suggested. They had it, and it wasn't too expensive so I decided to go that route. I figured that I'd go ahead and get some heavy duty scissors to cut it with. When I got over to the tool isle (my favorite place in Wallyworld), I stumbled onto some knee pads that had a "Gel" pad with a hard plastic shell or foot, but the shell was sewn on. I got these, and then cut off the shell, and their going to work exactly like I had hoped, and like MacDragon & Walküre had described. I also picked up the material, and other stuff need to make the pockets to hold them. Now all I need is for Kitty (my better half!) to make the pockets. If they keep him from hurting himself, it'll all be worth it.

your a good man charlie brown