Swim teaching - To struggle to think of reasonable adjustments for ADHD?

[Gotabadfeelingaboutthis]

So Jenny (not real name) has ADHD and is a swimming teacher.
She presents in a very hyper state for work, is often late and arrives disheveled, disorganised and dysregulated. She also may not have the things she needs with her. In the pool, she is very heightened, which can present as either hyperactive and loud, or dysregulated, snappy, tearful etc. If the children in the pool are struggling to regulate, she becomes very frantic and cries. Jenny does have things going on in her personal life, but she leads a life which appears to lurch from one drama to another, and the people (family) around her exacerbate issues. To add balance, Jenny is also very thoughtful and kind, she does not have a good support network at home, and does want to do well at work.
Her workplace want to put in place reasonable adjustments to support her and enable her to do her job effectively but it is very difficult to think how her ADHD could be accommodated in a swimming pool setting, as things like a quiet room to work in, softer lighting, headphones on etc wouldn't work for a swimming teacher! In terms of her lateness, the way the business operates means she chooses which days she works already. It is so difficult balancing supporting her, with keeping the children in the pool safe and ensuring they are getting effective teaching. I would welcome any suggestions.

Give her a locker where the stuff she needs can be kept at work

Create a tick list of what she should have in the locker at all times

What thoughts does Jenny have on the matter? What has she tried so far to help her work more successfully?

Can she work with the higher level groups who will cope with the hyper aspect alot better than a worried 4 year old at their first lesson?

Teach smaller groups or 1:1 lessons.
Gaps between classes (obviously this costs you so may be unrealistic).
Teaching the same level where possible, and having a routine that is used every lesson. When the routine needs mixing up, print laminated cards with the different routines on.
Praise for success, small wins.
A signal that she needs to leave the pool as she's becoming disregulated.

I say this kindly as someone who has ADHD, she needs to learn to regulate herself, be on time and be organised for class. If she genuinely can't do these things, she needs another job. I often am too loud and come across as hyper, my life is one crisis to the next (through no fault or neglect, it's just life!) I teach dance. I've learned to articulate that the students need to politely tell me if I'm getting too loud. I'm always on time, I always aim to be there half an hour early so if I'm ten minutes late in still 20 early. I keep lists of stuff I need for special events but for normal classes I keep everything together in one bag. I've always chosen jobs that work for me and the way I am and I recognise that I'm not suited to all jobs.

DS has adhd and we found his swimming improved massively when he was being taught 1-2-1 at the tail ends of Sunday eg 7:30am or 4pm. So maybe 1-2-1 sessions when it’s less busier might help. I agree that equipment for all the instructors should already be at the poolside.

"A signal that she needs to leave the pool as she's becoming disregulated."
She can't do that though can she. There are children in the water.

If the children in the pool are struggling to regulate, she becomes very frantic and cries

This isn't ok, for your employee or your customers. Being frantic and crying while non swimming children are in a swimming pool under your care cannot happen. Are you taking this seriously enough?

Presumably someone has to take over when she cries?

I am so much less fighty in the pool now I wear ear plugs when swimming. Obv teaching so can't wear full plugs but maybe the flare ones that reduce noise.

Defo a checklist for kit. I also have a crate that I put everything I need in to take with me. It's better than a bag as everything is visible.

Breathing exercises really help.

Big whiteboard with everything on it at home.

Externalise pretty much everything and try to keep life fairly simple. Do not get a puppy/kitten/new shiny object when other things are a priority.

What does Jenny think would help?

Timekeeping needs to be managed eg setting alarms, preparing her bag well in advance, using checklists etc.

If she is finding the pool environment and/or the behaviour of the children overwhelming then I’m not sure there’s much that can be done.

The safety & well-being of the children needs to come first & it's not a 'reasonable' adjustment to compromise that.
Having a disability doesn't mean someone can be incompetent, someone teaching children should not be crying & becoming dysregulated by children being children.

Can she move to teaching adults or teaching 1:1 or move to a job where she is coaching older children in a club.

Agree. As someone with a young child who’s new to swimming I find what’s been described terrifying. Her safety is my number one priority, I don’t care if the teacher is dishevelled but not freaking out while in charge of making sure my daughter doesn’t fucking drown is essential rather than optional.

There are various things you can do to help the organisational aspects but sometimes people are just not suited to a job. A teacher who can't cope with disregulated children is never going to work.

I think our responses could be more helpful if we knew if you were her manager at the pool, a caring friend or parent or a professional consultant.

— laminated lists of materials required.

• a laminated time table.
• a waterproof tub to keep these items together
• a brief catch up ten minutes before the first lesson to recap what she has to do today
• a meeting with her supervisor to discuss the situation. She is probably feeling a great deal of shame and this will add to the stress that is impacting her executive functioning.

My young children are learning to swim and we would be finding a new teacher in this situation. It doesn't sound like this role is suited to her.

I'm wondering how she got the job as it doesn't sound as if it suits her. Another who would not be happy if my child was in the pool with this person,

What does she say when she's late? Does she realise all the things you've listed and acknowledges they need to be dealt with?

Jenny sounds like a liability.

What do you mean she gets frantic when the kids are trying to regulate??

I have ADHD and I am sorry I am not going to be as kind as the other poster with ADHD! Children's safety is at risk - Jenny needs to be getting written warnings for lateness ect. Offer to sit down with her and discuss timing for getting ready for work if you want to - ie what time she needs to wake up, what she needs to pack the day before etc etc....but you can't really solve the emotional dysregulation thing unless she agrees to see a therapist.

People with ADHD absolutely do very well if we find jobs we want to hyperfocus on - if Janny is not shining at work then swim teacher might not be the right thing for her and better to help her explore another profession.

@September1013 "If she is finding the pool environment and/or the behaviour of the children overwhelming then I’m not sure there’s much that can be done." I think that is the problem, it is exactly this.

Thanks for the ideas, we have ensured there are always clean, spare t shirts and kit at the pool for her to use if she needs to. Her hours are consistent so it is easier for her to remember them.

We have tried 1-1 lessons but the reason most people are in a 1-1 lesson rather than a group lesson is because they are extremely nervous or have some sort of additional needs. Both of these don't really work with her because she is so dysregulated herself, she cannot help them to be calm and regulated. Also, when she becomes overwhelmed/distracted/dysregulated we can't compromise the safety of the student in the water with her so are not willing to have her working alone in the water. She does work better with the older children in the group classes, but only if there are no behaviour issues, (like ones who struggle to keep hold of the rail when waiting their turn etc)

She is a lovely girl whose heart is in the right place, but I am just concerned that however well intentioned she is, the safety of the swimmers and the other staff has to take priority.

Swimming has to have safety as a priority, rather than some wishy washy sense of Jenny needing to be accommodated because she's nice.

Find her another role where her dysregulation won't end in a child drowning.

Do you offer adult lessons? Or is there a different, non-teaching, role she could be moved to?

TBH it sounds like she’s never actually going to be competent to do this particular role.

I don't know but maybe another job might be better for her. I would leave/complain if I was the parent here. One of my DS is autistic and would not cope with her as a teacher at all and doesn't sound like many children can enjoy her lessons or be safe

Have you approached access to work for an assessment?

I'm a swimming teacher. We can't be late for lessons. We also can't leave children unattended and cry and become frantic. It doesn't sound like the job is suitable to her needs. There's alot for sensory overload at swimming pools lights,noise, temperature etc. She might be better teaching 121 sessions where she can focus on 1 child or 2 to 1