Swimming lessons and AS - your experience?

[jellyrolly]

Hi, I have tried searching for this as I'm sure it's been done got nowhere, so apologies if you are repeating.

My DS is 8, has AS and loves to swim. He has no safety awareness and finds it hard to hear instructions in lessons. We have tried group lessons but he ends up shouting, refusing to co-operate, being told off and sitting on the side. He hates the lesson structure but having no fear of water, he really needs lessons. He went for a while with my husband each week but that ends up being a fun swim rather than a lesson. He can swim after a fashion but I want him to learn better techniques for his own safety and enjoyment. I am trying to book one to one but there are no spaces where we live and no-one here seems to be able to recommend anything or anyone.

Any experiences of swimming lessons would be really helpful, thank you.

DD is getting a second round of swimming lessons now in secondary school but I think you should pursue it while he is younger but he needs a private teacher really.

Mine coped better with being the last one in the line, so he only had to deal with having one person next to him. Any instruction had to be tagged with his name first, or he didn't register it.
Private 1:1 is best, but if you can afford it, then fun lessons with you or dad that drown-proof him are the next best thing. Mine has no technique as such, but is a powerful swimmer who enjoys water sports.

Try contacting your local swimming clubs, rather than the council - it may well be you can find someone there who would either be prepared to do 1:1 if you think that will work best, or what happened when my dc learned to swim, was the teenagers who swam with the club used to get in the water with the beginners, and support the teacher teaching the group - it meant they could repeat instructions, help the dc to focus, demonstrate things visually, etc., and it made for much happier lessons all round. Even if your club don't do this already, they might be open to suggestions.... youngster might do it just for 'the common goo' or to help your dc, or might get credit towards a Duke of Edinburgh award or something for their volunteering. Certainly be worth asking.

My asd ds1 couldn't have coped with group lessons at all, so had 1-1 lessons from the age of 4. He's 16 now, swims with the Disability Swim Team and has won gold and silver medals at regional level.
He loves swimming. In your position I would get him on waiting list for 1-1 lessons, and try and find out if there is a disability swim team near you. They might be able to recommend a private teacher that you wouldn't otherwise hear about.

Mine has subsidised 1:1 at the local sports centre, it might be worth looking at your county council website to see if there is a scheme for activities for children with additional needs.

Mine has made a lot of progress with a lovely teacher - identifying the right one has been key - and with a local council scheme that reduces the size of class for children with SN.

I would second speaking to the disability sport team or to someone at the council with a similar role.

Thank you everyone, that is really helpful. I will follow up the suggestions, I think he would love the idea of a teenager helping him.

Dumpylump, congratulations to your DS you must be really proud of him .

Have found a great disability swim group nearby who offer 1:1, thank you for the leads. Delighted!

- I like it when threads produce instant results!

Wow! That was quick!
Thanks for coming back to update us

Thank you very much......I am incredibly proud of him! He does athletics too, and is Junior Scottish Champion in one event.
His sporting prowess is a source of much bewilderment to me

That is really encouraging Dumpy - my DS (9, AS) loves sport but finds his abilities very hit and miss, it is great to hear of others doing so well.

It's only since he's been at secondary school that he's really started to fly whoknows. Ds is in a sen unit attached to mainstream school where the head of dept is extremely sporty and his main teacher is very outdoorsy.
So dept head has encouraged entering and competing at various athletics comps and swimming galas (this is how we came to be approached by Disability Swim Team), and teacher has got him involved in canoeing, climbing and skiing - along with other kids in the unit.
He loves it all!

What inspirational people those teachers sound. I must say I have found some very caring sports coaches in our local community clubs (including DS's swimming coach) even though they're all (so far) mainstream ones.

Love this thread. I'm a swimming teacher who has worked with sn kids and they get so much out of it with the right approach. Glad you've both found good resources.