teaching a child with autism to swim

[KirstenB]

Hi Guys, at what age did you start teaching your child to swim? Or sign him/her up for lessons? Our older dd is on swim team, and her coach works with young adults with autism in her day job. Her coach volunteered to work with our 4 yr old Zoe to see if she was ready for lessons.

Zoe wouldn't pay attention for more than 30 seconds, so we mutually decided she wasn't ready yet. I'm really wiggy about water safety, so I started our older dd when she was 3. Even though she's "normal" it still took her until she was 6 or 7 before I really felt she was a competent swimmer.

Zoe has muscle weakness in her trunk and gross motor and motor planning delays, which adds to the situation.

Can anyone share their experiences with me? Should I forget this idea for now? Did I mention I'm wiggy about water and ASD kids?

 

[bookwormde]

We have a facility in our area for individuals with major disabilities which has a parallel program for teaching children swimming with all types of disabilities swimming, you might want to check for a similar program in your area. The young adults who do much of the teaching have broad experience with almost all types of disabilities.

bookwormde

 

[blurrycat]

My mother enrolled me in swim lessons from the age of five to six. The first year, I threw a complete fit and melted down every day of the lessons. I do not know whether she was tired of trying, or trying something new, but after that she just took me to the lessons. I could sit and watch, dip my feet into the pool, or participate to whatever level I was comfortable. It was safe because the instructors were there, as were lifeguards.

After three summers of lessons without the lesson, I got into the pool one day and said I could swim. The instructor stood by... and I swam. I learned from watching and getting comfortable at my own pace.

Maybe just letting her observe for a while, and take it slowly, would be of help?

 

[stampin_fool]

I started my son with swim therapy when he was 6 and through this therapy he learned to swim. He did have a very difficult time for the first six months to a year as he had lots of sensory issues with the water and he didn't put his face in the water for well over a year. He now swims really well because of this therapy and has pretty much worked through this sensory issues with water for the most part.

I think it is very important that you find someone your child is comfortable with and then let her go at her own pace. This will help with meltdowns. Maybe talk to the instructor and see if she is willing to start off out of the pool until your child is comfortable and then slowly work into the pool.

 

[KirstenB]

My mother enrolled me in swim lessons from the age of five to six. The first year, I threw a complete fit and melted down every day of the lessons. I do not know whether she was tired of trying, or trying something new, but after that she just took me to the lessons. I could sit and watch, dip my feet into the pool, or participate to whatever level I was comfortable. It was safe because the instructors were there, as were lifeguards.

After three summers of lessons without the lesson, I got into the pool one day and said I could swim. The instructor stood by... and I swam. I learned from watching and getting comfortable at my own pace.

Maybe just letting her observe for a while, and take it slowly, would be of help?

This made me giggle. Sometimes when we're trying to teach her something new, it seems to take forever, she's not paying attention, starts talking to herself, etc. After a while, we just give up. Then out of the blue, she'll show that she was listening and attentive, just in her own time.

Stampin, what you're saying makes sense too. I was envisioning our older dd in traditional group swim lessons and trying to figure out how to work that with Zoe. I think I need to accept the fact that we're probably going to go with special needs swim classes (they have a 1:3 ratio, or 1:1 if needed). I appreciate you reminding me this needs to be a Zoe-pace process.

Bookwormde, we don't have a facility like you describe that I know of, but the same private group that taught our older dd to swim, also offers special needs lessons with very small groups.

Right now, Zoe still has trunk weakness, and overall gross motor delays. She does try to kick when I hold her around her belly in the water, but it's kind of a weak kick.

 

[stampin_fool]

This made me giggle. Sometimes when we're trying to teach her something new, it seems to take forever, she's not paying attention, starts talking to herself, etc. After a while, we just give up. Then out of the blue, she'll show that she was listening and attentive, just in her own time.

Stampin, what you're saying makes sense too. I was envisioning our older dd in traditional group swim lessons and trying to figure out how to work that with Zoe. I think I need to accept the fact that we're probably going to go with special needs swim classes (they have a 1:3 ratio, or 1:1 if needed). I appreciate you reminding me this needs to be a Zoe-pace process.

Bookwormde, we don't have a facility like you describe that I know of, but the same private group that taught our older dd to swim, also offers special needs lessons with very small groups.

Right now, Zoe still has trunk weakness, and overall gross motor delays. She does try to kick when I hold her around her belly in the water, but it's kind of a weak kick.

With regard to her overall gross motor delays I think if you have either a PT or OT work with her doing swim therapy this may help greatly. Jacob's arms were quite weak when we started the therapy, so much so that he couldn't pull himself out of the pool from the side and was wiped out after therapy for the first six months or so. Once we got into the car he would crash on the ride home.

It is funny you saying that she appeared to not be listening and would talk to herself and not be attentive. Jacob did this at school but whenever the teachers would call on him he would know the answer. He just has a different way of paying attention, LOL.

Good luck with however you decide to proceed!

Ronda

 

[sl_underwood]

We also do swim therapy. It wasnt started until this last summer and our son who has a pdd nos (along with many other dx) took to it beautifully. He was fearful at first but it took maybe a month of swimming every day for him to get it. I wish we would have tried it sooner.

 

[brergnat]

I have a HFA son. He turned 5 in July. I started him in PRIVATE swim lessons (20 min each, once a week) in April of this year. By August, he was swimming across the 25 year pool independently!

If I had tried a year prior, when he was only 4, it would have been a miserable failure.

I just felt like something "clicked" with him around March of this year, in his ability to focus and learn a skill like that. Plus, he (on his own) wanted to swim without his "floatie" (swim vest) and at that point, I knew I HAD to at least try swimming lessons, if only so he could learn to be water safe.

The lessons weren't cheap (cost approx. $1200), but it was worth every penny!

 

[KirstenB]

I have a HFA son. He turned 5 in July. I started him in PRIVATE swim lessons (20 min each, once a week) in April of this year. By August, he was swimming across the 25 year pool independently!

If I had tried a year prior, when he was only 4, it would have been a miserable failure.

I just felt like something "clicked" with him around March of this year, in his ability to focus and learn a skill like that. Plus, he (on his own) wanted to swim without his "floatie" (swim vest) and at that point, I knew I HAD to at least try swimming lessons, if only so he could learn to be water safe.

The lessons weren't cheap (cost approx. $1200), but it was worth every penny!

I have a feeling this is the way I'll go. There's a swim school that did an amazing job of teaching our older dd to swim in a week. This was after sporadic lessons at the Y throughout the year. They say they also work with special needs kids, either 1 to 3 ratio, or 1 to 1 if needed. I appreciate you including your son's age, the length of time it took and the $$. This gives me a starting point on planning.

Stampin fool and SL Underwood, the motor delays do worry me. You guys have given me some good additional ideas if we need to dig deeper.

 

[brergnat]

I have a feeling this is the way I'll go. There's a swim school that did an amazing job of teaching our older dd to swim in a week. This was after sporadic lessons at the Y throughout the year. They say they also work with special needs kids, either 1 to 3 ratio, or 1 to 1 if needed. I appreciate you including your son's age, the length of time it took and the $$. This gives me a starting point on planning.

Stampin fool and SL Underwood, the motor delays do worry me. You guys have given me some good additional ideas if we need to dig deeper.

I would highly recommend the 1:1. It's more expensive, but they get the instructor to themselves the whole time. Plus, with ASD, there are ALWAYS some sort of "focus/attention" issues. It's not really safe (IMO) to expect her to remember to follow the directions to either hang on the wall or around the instructor's neck while the OTHER child is being tended to. When I was inquiring about the lesson options, the center I went to offered private (1:1) or a 1:2 semi-private option. I chose the 1:1 after watching a 1:2 class, and realizing that my son would lose his focus when it was the other kid's turn after about 5 seconds. Plus, I felt he would learn faster if he got ALL the instructor's attention, ALL the time.

I would advise you to do the same...observe a private class and a 1:3 class, and imagine your child in each situation. The right choice should be obvious.

Oh, and FYI, each private lesson cost $43. He required a total of 24 private lessons. Now, he spends his time in the pool mostly in the deep end...diving for dive sticks. And, he was able to go down the "big" slide at Disney's Grand Calfornian hotel, where they give kids a swim test before letting them go down. He passed with flying colors! This was at the end of August, so after just about 3/4 of the way to the end of his lessons. He could actually "swim" several yards, with a proper freestyle stroke, after only 10 lessons. He learned to be water safe after 3 lessons (taught to roll over and float, from any position in the water, as well as after jumping into a deep end).

 

[gandycat]

My son has Sensory Processing Disorder but not autism, but lots of the sensory issues make swimming very hard for him. He also has trunk weakness. He's been taking lessons since he was 3. I've found that group lessons have been better b/c he gets a break and doesn't get too tired. And it has helped that he could watch the other kids. The thing that I think has helped the most is talking to the teacher so they understand the issues and having them take more time to break the skills down to individual practice. He can't learn 4 or 5 motor skills at once, he needs to master one before he moves on to the next. I will say that the swimming has helped him a ton, it helps to use all of the muscles and limbs for strength and coordination. Yes, when he was 3-4, he got bored and wondered off sometimes, I had to watch him closely. But it was worth it. Good luck!

 

[KirstenB]

Thanks Gandycat. More food for thought. Zoe also has trunk weakness...I hadn't thought about group lessons letting her recover, and giving her a break. Also, welcome to our forum!!

 

[turkeymama]

The first year we tried (he was 3), the lesson was a no-go. The instructor asked us to leave and refunded my money. Last year, I found a swimming school here in town and got lucky. There is an instructor there who has experience with autistic children. In fact, he volunteers every year at a camp for autistic children. He took DS on last year (at age 4) and did great with him. He still isn't a strong swimmer, but I've been able to work with him on my own now. That is as far as we have gotten so far.

 

[we3are1]

Our DS is high functioning and we did lessons at 6 with a local swimming group that has lots of experience with special need kids. They do an 8 day blitz (mon - thursday for 2 weeks) 30 minutes each day. Parents are asked not to stay so the child can focus with the instructor. It is 1 on 1 with 2 lessons going on at the same time. You are also guaranteed your child will be able to swim after the blitz or money refunded. I didn't believe it would really work out. He would not put his head in the water the first day but on day 8 when he showed us what he had learned - he was diving for diving sticks. AMAZING!

 

[Nik's Mom]

I have 2 autistic sons. We enrolled them in private swim lessons last year. At first, my 7 year old didn't pay attention, but as the days passed, he seemed to be a little more focused. There was no way my 7 year old could do a group lesson. He has ADD on top of it all, so his attention span is not great.
My 10 year old could probably do a semi-private lesson though. I think it all depends on the individual.

Private lessons are so expensive, but we really have no choice. Group lessons are not in the cards for our kids.

 

[Marina Del Rey]

My mother enrolled me in swim lessons from the age of five to six. The first year, I threw a complete fit and melted down every day of the lessons. I do not know whether she was tired of trying, or trying something new, but after that she just took me to the lessons. I could sit and watch, dip my feet into the pool, or participate to whatever level I was comfortable. It was safe because the instructors were there, as were lifeguards.

After three summers of lessons without the lesson, I got into the pool one day and said I could swim. The instructor stood by... and I swam. I learned from watching and getting comfortable at my own pace.

Maybe just letting her observe for a while, and take it slowly, would be of help?

I almost had the same experience, although I can't recall what age I was and I never got to take swimming lessons as a child because of my fits. I learned to swim from observing my older siblings. Years later, I decided to take swimming lessons for the sake of improving, and instructors were younger than me. My kids will learn to swim when they initiate individual interest.

 

[bookwormde]

When I am talking with parents (or with newly self realized individuals with spectrum genetics). One of the first thing I try to get them to accept is that we are not typical and we “come to things” in our own time frame and in our own way.

This simple realization makes all the difference and allows them to begin to understand, appreciate and enjoy the many magical moments that come along with spectrum genetics.

bookwormde

 

[gandycat]

Thanks Gandycat. More food for thought. Zoe also has trunk weakness...I hadn't thought about group lessons letting her recover, and giving her a break. Also, welcome to our forum!!

Thank you for the welcome

 

[makelifehappen]

Took our oldest forever to feel comfortable in the water (splashing, etc), but she didn't start lessons until much later (8-9). She could swim and splash about, but this helped her to build her strength and endurance for laps around the pool and allowed her access to deep water swim.

We only found out that our youngest was a little fish on our last Disney vacation (August). We put her in one of their AMAZING life jackets and away she went~wanted nothing to do with us!

Sadly, without the jacket, she'd never be able to float~she is far too wiggly and wormy for all of that. Also, I have never been able to find a life jacket that was as good as Disney's...ours always make her flop backwards and float up giving her the feeling of choking... *sigh*

They are all so individual that I would suggest following their cues to ever make sense of their abilities/needs.

 

[Allisdad]

If I may ask, do you have a parent/child class in your area? I used to teach swimming and I had one special needs child. The mother would get in the pool with her and just float around. They were in my class for about 12 weeks (if memory serves me right) and the little girl started swimming on her own. She became so familiar with me that she would even let me spot her. It might be worth checking into. You could at least ask the instructor, unless the pool has some policy against it. I'm sure you could find one that would be more than happy to work with you.