PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Twin brothers Ron and Arturo love to ride their bicycles with their family.
"They were diagnosed with autism. They are on the spectrum," said Patricia Muñoz-Upton with Cycling For Autism and Other Abilities. TThey were diagnosed. Ronald was diagnosed at the age of two and Arturo wasn't diagnosed until almost four. They are tip-toe walkers, so they have a lot of sensory issues."
It all started one day when Muñoz-Upton and her husband wanted to teach the boys how to ride a bicycle.
"We love the outdoors, we love exercising, we love cycling, skiing and we wanted our children to participate with us," Muñoz-Upton said. "We just got them on bikes and it took a while, but they finally got it. We ride 10 miles sometimes a day."
Muñoz-Upton said it's great exercise for her sons.
"It gets them tired, number one. Number two, it helps with their focus. Exercise is good for anybody," Muñoz-Upton said.
Muñoz-Upton thought other families could benefit and recently hosted a Cycling For Autism and Other Abilities event, an experience that helped some on the spectrum learn how to ride a bike for the first time.
"So we were expecting about 30 people we thought that would be the max," Muñoz-Upton said. "We had a huge crowd come out. So we had about 10 bikes here and then Jack the Bike Man loaned us 12 bikes. And we purchased from Jack the Bike Man two side-by-side bikes."
Muñoz-Upton said she wants to host another Cycling For Autism event in November. She's hoping to inspire others to help.
"Bike donations would be amazing, buddies to come in and give their time," Muñoz-Upton said.
Cycling For Autism and Other Abilities is a 501(c)(3) organization. You can learn more by visiting their Facebook page or emailing Ronart1999@gmail.com.
