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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Autistic kids and sports

29 replies

Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 21:27

Shamelessly posting because it's a busy board and really want some advice.
I take my 4 year old gymnastics but he's limited verbal. He loves it but really struggles can't copy other kids and finds it hard to position his body. He gets a bit stiff when I try to position it for him. He's quite fearful of heights and falling. But he loves it so we persevere.
Same with swimming I take him because he can't follow an instructor holds on to a noodle and is happy kicking away and splashing.
My question if any autistic person or parent can help me is how do I help him more to copy? Does this come later? He tries to roll which he loves and I flip him over but he'll always get in the wrong position to start.
He loves watches his older sister do hand stands and flips.

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Moltenpink · 05/02/2023 21:28

Could you show him a video before you go? I can’t copy in real life because my other senses get too overwhelmed.

Starlitestarbright · 05/02/2023 21:33

I can't comment on the gymnastics but I'm a swimming teacher and my ds is waiting assessment likely for asd he's 6 I let him lead sessions when we go swimming lot of underwater play picking toy up, jumping in. He's a hundred miles an hr and struggles to follow instructions. But he enjoys it and has been known to jump and randomly swim!

Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 21:40

@SnarkyBag thank you so much for those resources. I didn't know it's called motor planning.

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Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 21:41

@Moltenpink yes I think it must be overwhelming. He does get very excited and jump around in the gym.

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SnarkyBag · 05/02/2023 21:42

No problem. There’s loads of great occupational therapy blogs which usually have some great activities and ideas to help so have a good look. These activities will be great not just for sport but all kinds of day to day skills and activities.

Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 21:42

@Starlitestarbright yes it's more just having fun. I bought those toys you throw in the pool so we can try to swim to them. Just splashing around. It's quite relaxing for him.

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Hellocatshome · 05/02/2023 21:43

Cant help with gymnastics but have a look. or Autism friendly swimming lessons. If you are in the North East I can recommend a fantastic place.

Sindonym · 05/02/2023 21:47

My son couldn’t imitate until he was 8 (& life became a lot easier for him when he could). It really changed everything being able to imitate

Until then we did have to teach everything hand over hand and by physical movement.

Typical ways to encourage imitation are to use a mirror - lots of actions and interaction facing the mirror - full length ones are great. Use big actions like jumping or noisy ones like clapping -
something very marked. You can also copy him in front of the mirror. We also did a lot of ‘do this’ (so not labelling the action - eg not saying clap or jump) - physically moving him through the action and then giving lots lots tickles or jumping or something else he loved. It was very play based. My son was quite happy being moved through the actions - would laugh his head off - but not every autistic child is so that may or may not be an option. Follow your child’s lead.

It took a loooooong time - but eventually
he got it and like I said it changed everything - made life so much easier for him. So worth plugging away, but keep it fun and focus on the play & a positive interaction.

PumpkinDart · 05/02/2023 21:50

If it helps my daughter is ASD and last year we were in a similar boat with both gymnastics and swimming. She can swim unassisted now, cartwheels, can spin around on the bar, handstands etc. Don't get me wrong she's not making the Olympic squad any time soon but she's been able to make solid progress.

For both the key was patient and knowledgeable instructors, my daughter isn't non verbal/ limited but at 4 would absolutely not have said a word to either her swimming instructor nor her gym coach but they both were able to go at her pace and she's made huge progress (me not being there watching has helped although I realise that may not be an option for you). My daughter's gym instructor came to tell me how pleased she was that my daughter has actually gone over to speak to her during class one day recently (something she hasn't done in 2 years of going).

I think with the gymnastics as long as he's enjoying and not becoming frustrated just continue gently encouraging him, he's still very young and it's great he's enjoying joining in. My NT daughter was so uncoordinated at 4, she split her lip with her own foot trying to do a forward roll, it was something else.

Maybe he'll get aspects of it and it'll click, maybe he won't but keep an eye out for disability friendly sessions in your local gymnastics club he'll be able to continue enjoying as he gets older even if he makes less progress.

Swimming, a good, trusted instructor was key for my daughter. Understanding that being in the noodle keeping her up was a scary experience for her with the loss of control was huge, also the need for her to have physical contact with her instructor caused issues at times but she got there and she swims confidently now. Your son sounds great and what worked with my daughter might not work for you but it's brilliant that he's enjoying these activities.

Sindonym · 05/02/2023 21:52

It may not just be motor planning - my son still has motor planning difficulties, but he now understands imitation and that he can can copy what someone does. He did not understand or realise that until he was 8. So we had to teach (for eg) how to drink out of a cup but holding his hands to the cup and tipping it - I had no idea this was unusual btw. We had to teach everything like that. Literally everything.

Once he could imitate we could show him and he would copy. Or he would just copy anyway (often with some difficulty because of motor planning problems - his Makaton signs are his own version for example, but prior to imitation he could not use Makaton at all - it came in very quickly once he learned to imitate).

UnicorseTime · 05/02/2023 21:52

Mine did really well with a 1-1 swimming instructior. We started beginning of Yr 1 so about a year "late" but made back all the money we had saved by not doing that first year - as they progressed so much quicker.

I would not worry if they aren't able or ready to do groups when they start school as school is so overwhelming as it is. Just take it on a group by group situation as to whether thye can join in/get anything from it. I wish I could go back and be less anxious about everything!

As an aside mine loved scouts. Our group seemed well set up for differences.

Allytheapple · 05/02/2023 21:56

We have this with our DS. We just accept that he learns at his own pace and he does eventually. His sister has dyspraxia as well as ASD some of these sports you are doing she could never have mastered but she can cycle a bike and has learn to hit a bat and catch and various other skills. It took loads of time and dedication.

Singleandproud · 05/02/2023 21:58

You could try rugby, it is a very inclusive sport and it's easier to run and grab a big round 'egg' than the more intricate skills and coordination needed for gymnastics or swimming. It is very good for children with autism as it is very rules based, but also the physicality gives them the sensory input they often seek.

Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 22:16

@Allytheapple that's wonderful to hear. Even small milestones feel big when our kids struggle.

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Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 22:20

@PumpkinDart yes for my son just joining in waiting for his turn and changing activities are great achievements. He doesn't mind other children at all. The gym coaches are lovely and they know he'll struggle let him bounce around.

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AssignedNorthern · 05/02/2023 22:24

Hellocatshome · 05/02/2023 21:43

Cant help with gymnastics but have a look. or Autism friendly swimming lessons. If you are in the North East I can recommend a fantastic place.

I'd be interested in the swimming details please

Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 22:29

@Sindonym I'm on waiting lists for OT nhs and private but they are so long! I would live to have an assessment done so I know how to help. He struggles with his clothes too so would be nice to have a professional help me to help him.
He doesn't mind the hand over hand at all and looks for me to help him jump or to show how to do things.

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Hellocatshome · 05/02/2023 22:30

AssignedNorthern · 05/02/2023 22:24

I'd be interested in the swimming details please

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Original poster
Zooeyzo · 05/02/2023 22:53

@Singleandproud there's a rugby club local to me. Maybe once his understanding improves i can take him along to see if it interests him. His dad is tall and very broad shoulders which he's taken after so he's certainly the right build for it and loves to run.

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Singleandproud · 06/02/2023 07:37

@Zooeyzo he would be in minis from 4-12 (in different sections obviously) most of what they do to begin with is little games running from one end of a pitch to another and practising catching. Certainly no tackling or scrum s at that age, and perhaps a few games of touch. I've found that a lot of the people who run rugby to be quite 'up' on additional needs as they work in education anyway, many of my DDs coaches are PE teachers. If he joins, once you've explained his needs you could ask to be told a couple of the activities that he can practise at home so he knows how to do it.

JADS · 06/02/2023 07:58

How about junior park run? 2k on a Sunday morning. He can run, walk, skip. It's very inclusive and you can start from 4 years.

user567543 · 06/02/2023 08:10

I have two dc with ASD who couldn't swim before age 9-10, same for cycling and I wonder if you need to take it back a notch and do things that build core strength and balance like yoga (cosmic kids is amazing) and trampolining?

Swimming and most sports you need to have good core strength and balance or it's exhausting and then the coordination and listening is the cherry on the top of difficulty.

Shame OT is taking so long to come through - YouTube has a lot of OT videos for kids, things like balancing, stepping stone obstacle courses are good too.

I took mine out of Swim classes as she just wasn't getting anywhere and focused on core and balance and feel it's paid off as her latest physio assessment was much better.

DaveyJonesLocker · 06/02/2023 09:35

I'm autistic practising swimming outside of lessons and making it fun. I was good at swimming under water.

I also did kickboxing. It took more work and more time to get to the level of other people. You've just got to learn to race against yourself, not the people around you.

Original poster
Zooeyzo · 06/02/2023 09:46

@user567543 we don't do swim classes just splash about and have fun. I honestly wouldn't be happy with him being in a pool without me at first he wouldn't let go of me now he swims away with his noodle.
His core strength is good or same level as other kids. it's the copying he struggles with. He loves running uphill or pulling himself along like a snake 😁

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