Children/Teenagers with Special Needs

Individual or group lessons are available for verbal and non-verbal children or teenagers diagnosed with special needs. 

 

• One-on-one lesson is highly recommended

• Group lessons are available with maximum 2 in a group

• Parents need to be prepared to be inside the pool 

 

Special Needs Children/Teenagers must learn to swim

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Many special needs children, especially those on the autism spectrum, tend to elope or wander. By eloping or wandering, we mean that an individual wanders out of the care and safety of their caregiver and into a potentially dangerous situation e.g. water. Drowning made up a staggering 80% of mortal injuries to children with autism. Research shows that children with ASD are 160 times as likely to be casualties from drowning as the general paediatric population. Given the exceptionally heightened risk of drowning for children, and neurodivergent children in general, swimming classes should be the intervention of top priority.

 

Benefits of Swimming for Special Needs Children/Teenagers

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Swimming helps special needs children (primarily those with autism, ADHD and cerebral palsy) in many ways and for a number of reasons. 

 

• It helps with proprioception processing and improves motor coordination

 Proprioception, the awareness of one’s body in space plays an important part in motor control. For children with autism, ADHD or cerebral palsy, the buoyancy of the water provides a sense of weightlessness which is helpful for them as they manage their difficulty with proprioception. The constant sense of water against the skin provides deep proprioceptive input to the muscle and joints. This helps in giving them a sense to where the body is in relation to other body parts, hence helping them develop body awareness.

 

Being in the water provides a sense of freedom of movement and helps them with their gross motor coordination. They also suffer from stress on their joints and swimming is a low impact exercise which reduces this stress. Swimming is also a form of vestibular stimulation, which helps to improve balance and coordination in children with autism.

 

• It is calming and soothing

For children with autism and ADHD, water provides a calming and soothing environment allowing them a better space to regulate their emotions and reduce their anxiety and agitation. The sound of the water provides a form of white noise, which can block out other distracting sounds, and is especially good for autistic children who suffer from sensitivities to sound. 

 

Both these groups of children often suffer from comorbid sensory issues. The pressure of the water against the skin therefore provides a form of deep touch pressure, which helps alleviate their sensory issues and calm their nervous system.

 

• It gives routine and predictability

The repetitive motions involved in swimming can provide a sense of routine and predictability, which can be comforting for children with autism in particular. 

 

Swimming brings immense benefits that will help both the child and their caregiver. Other than improving cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and coordination  which are essential for special needs children, the ability to help them learn how to follow instructions and regulate their behaviour in a social setting will also build self-confidence. 

 

Understanding Anxiety

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The challenges of getting special-needs children comfortable with water 

Most of the children with such special needs suffer from fear and anxiety of new environments and spaces. Hence, this fear needs to be understood and addressed so they can be made confident and comfortable in water. 

 

Coach Lee has a 3-stage approach to address this:

 

Stage 1 - Overcoming Fear of Water

• Sitting in water

• Wetting face and head

• Wading in knee deep water

• Crawling in knee deep water

• Putting face into water

• Jumping into water

 

Stage 2 - Building Confidence in Water

• Jumping into chest deep water

• Blowing bubbles in water

• Retrieving objects in the water (Knee/Chest depth)

 

Stage 3 - Survival Skills

• Drown proofing - Front float, back float

• Sculling, float, tread water

 

Once the special needs child has achieved the above, they can then be channelled into the regular swimming programme as outlined. 

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Qualities that are important when teaching Special Needs Children

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When teaching swimming to special needs children, it's important to be clear of certain precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of the child. The coach must provide close supervision and support for the child during the swimming lessons. This may include the use of a flotation device or other assistive device, as well as one-on-one instruction.

 

It is also imperative to work with a trained and qualified coach who has the experience of working with special needs children. The coach should also be informed and updated on the specific needs of the child and then able to adapt their teaching style to meet those needs.

 

The coach needs to be patient and manage the progression from basic survival skills to making the child more comfortable and confident in the water and then getting them to start swimming. Special needs children may require extra time and patience when learning new skills, hence it's important to go at a pace that is comfortable for the child. The coach must communicate and work hand-in-hand with the caregivers. It is essential that the coach is made fully aware and updated of the child's limitations and needs. This way, swimming lessons can be adjusted as needed to ensure that the child is safe, comfortable and well-cared for at all times.