Swimming lessons for autistic DS

[Sprogonthetyne]

The waiting list for swimming lessons at our local leisure centre is quite long, and I put DS's name down at age 3, when his needs where less apparent and I was possibly still a bit in denial (putting lots things down to being a toddler). Two years, an ASD diagnosis and a EHCP later, DS has reached the top of the list and is being offed a space in the next intake.

Just wanted to ask if anyone's DC had managed in "mainstream" swimming lessons, or would I be better turning the place down and looking for something more specialised or 1:1?

DS has good speech and verbal understanding, but struggles with noise busy places, so didn't get on well in mainstream school. I'm hoping that as swimming lessons have smaller group sizes then it will be within his tolerance, but I'm not sure. He absolutely loves swimming when we go as a family, has no fear of jumping in and putting his head under, and can swim with a floaty shark fin.

If you haven’t already speak to the manager, if there are some swimming teachers with more experience with ASD they may recommend you wait for a space in a lesson with them.

DS3 (ASD, in MS) managed fairly well with group swimming lessons with an understanding instructor. DS1 (no ASD but other complex SEN, EOTAS) didn’t, he couldn’t cope with 1:1 in a busy pool either, he has 1:1 swimming/hydrotherapy in his EHCP in a smaller, more sensory friendly pool.

Thanks for the reply, I think I definitely need to talk to the manager. He seems to benifit a lot from the sensory aspect of being in the water and the physical activity, so I would like him to go if he can manage. I have a younger DC, so we can only go swimming together with a second adult, so we don't go that often.

I would second talking to the manager.

It probably also depends on how much stress is on him in other areas of life. My DD did pretty well in a group class until she started Reception, and then it was just all too much and a Saturday morning group class became overwhelming. We probably pushed on for too long (because she'd been fine before) and regretted it in retrospect. Now she's in Y3 and after a long break due largely to Covid we're trying again with private lessons with her younger sibling which are going OK (slow, but I think she'll get there and she enjoys it and is comfortable in the water). We also go for regular family swims which she enjoys and can now swim with a float, but not independently yet.

For DD it was really important that the teacher actually be in the water in her. She isn't confident with a teacher just instructing from the side. Of course YMMV but it's worth talking to the centre manager/teacher as appropriate and see what they think. It may be at least worth a go as long as the teacher is aware and sensitive.

We put our DS into a disability swimming club. His ASD has a very dyspraxic profile to it and he finds coordinating arms and legs for swimming strokes very hard. He would never have managed in mainstream because the rate of progress is too fast for him. It's working out really well. All the kids have varying degrees of need, he's never the odd one out and all progress, however small, is celebrated.

Thank you both for your replies, I've spoken to the swimming instructor and they seem confident to try and see how it goes. They've put him in the time slot that has least other lessons running and we think it will be alright for the first few stages at least, as they keep the group sizes smaller anyway with weak/non swimmers. We may have to rethinking later on when the groups get bigger, but by then he should have the basics, so we can go back to swimming together to practice and build up his stamina.

He had his first and loves it. He jumped up and down on the spot every time he had to wait for his turn, and took his goggles off and on about 30 times, but didn't do anything dangerous or disruptive, so I'm taking it as a win.

This is wonderful to hear. Long May it continue.