SWIMMING | Autism PDD
My son is 3.5 and is swimming like a fish. Just started about 6 weeks ago.
He has always loved the water. He also taught himself with a little
encouragement from mom. He also uses mostly his legs and feet to swim
but is starting to use his arms and hands.
He still cannot pedal a tricycle, but he can swim! The OT said his tone is
getting better in his torso and the swimming is probably helping.
My daughter is 3 and has taught herself to swim. It is amazing to watch. I was shocked. Taught herself as well. She has the biggest smile on her face when she's swimming. I didn't know that can happen with ASD kids. Interesting. My Mom and I couldn't figure out how she was doing this. So I have a little fish as well My boy is a big little fish! He loves the water, and will stay in much longer
than the rest of the family... when asked how he does this he'll surface out
of the sea enough to have his mouth out, and say "blubber" with a big grin,
then submerge again. He's spent so long snorkling each summer that he has
a tan line across the small of his back between his swimmers and where his
rash vest runches up. I think he finds the different sounds and the
movement of the sea deeply relaxing.
I've got little fish! They just finished their 3rd summer of lessons.
And I have to brag here - they can both do forward flips off of the 1 meter diving board into the 12 foot section and swim to the side!
My son swims so gracefully. He too, uses mostly his feet. He glidesthrough the water. Swimming really grounds him, and helps him to focus.
AMy son learned to dogpaddle and jump in this year. Basically, he learned to control his aversion to getting water on his face and head. This same aversion has caused problems with washing hair for years.Jasper has always been the hyper-sensitive/avoidant type. He's such an
anxious kid. He is still getting used to the water. Last week at daycamp
(for asd kids) he finally allowed the swim teacher to take him in the water.
(as opposed to watching or just dangling his feet) he clung to her for dear
life- but it is a big development. He'll get there.
He said; "It's just been such a long time since I went in the pool, I forgot if
the water was freezing cold or steaming hot" good insight. He gets more
"aspergery" by the day. Hyper articulate, yet so many sensory issues and
anxieties.
We went through 3 bathing suits this season, before we got the "right"
one. He had issues w/ the liner...( thank god I have friends who will buy
his 'rejects' off me)
the good news is, he's working on it on his own. he clearly wants to swim
(no one is pressuring him) and he's just getting adjusted on his own
timetable. Around here, the hottest months are usually sept-early oct, so
we still have time to build on his interest.
All of my kids are lousy swimmers. They're all in introductor lessons currently. The girls have a hard time letting go of the instructor and letting themselves float freely. My son is doing a little better, but he's had some confidence issues jumping off of the diving board (he did do it, finally). He's seven, and still can't even really dog paddle or keep himself above water, but he's also had limited exposure to pools, so hopefully he'll get better at it.
The girls are going to have to repeat their introductory class. Even the 3 year olds in their class are alread swimming circles around them :(
[QUOTE=juls35inva]Funny thing is Jakeysmom is that when he swims he only uses his feet, usually he is holding something in one or both of his hands, so he holds them out straight. Once in a great while he will use both arms but how he gets from one end of the pool to the other just kicking underwater(and he can change direction) w/o full use of his hands or arms is perplexing. I have tried it, but I sink or get water up my nose.
[/QUOTE]It's a great start for him!
I want my son to do exactly that, I want to get a device he can hold
under him so he can do that. Plus it'll give him
more freedom in the pool. Lucky you have a pool in the
backyard.At the beginning of the summer he would only go in the kiddy pools, now he comes with me in the big pools, starting to kick, definitely getting less and less afraid of going under. At first he would jump in only holding my hands. As he became less afraid of the water, now he is running and jumping with no hands and me catching him.
He just turned 4 July 31, 07. He is making great improvement with the pool. I wish he was at where your son is, which is great
. I am just starting to get him to kick his feet. I am gonna keep working on it with him.Copyright Autism-PDD.net