I wonder if starting an adult off on a fixed trainer (the kind that locks into the rear axle), so that they learn the mechanics, and then moving them to rollers (the trainers where the bike is free to balance on its own gyroscopic force) would work...with the rollers, you could straddle the front end and assist with balance by keeping the handlebars steady.
The principle difficulty with starting an adult newbie on a bike on the road I would think is that they weigh so much - with a kid, its easy to help them along because they are comparatively light. With rollers, between you and a wall along side them you could do a lot of work developing the balance needed without having them run you over.
One interesting thing is going the other way, learning to ride rollers feels a lot like learning to ride for the first time all over again....For anyone that hasn't tried rollers, you really should, its quite a neat experience.
Just random thoughts since apparently the person is riding already...
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-Scott
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