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SN children

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Original poster

DS starts (MS) school swimming lessons on friday....... we were told today

24 replies

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 18:41

I am stressing totally. there is a whole list of things that are going to cause troubl.

for satrters he wont go without a T-shirt, but they asy he will not be able to swim. he has to wear proper swimming trunks not shorts...he just wouldn't wear them.
he is going to be exoected to que up and then swim across the pool...one by one. so will be out of teh water and waiting around quite a lot.
It will be a very large quite busey swimming pool with just a roped off area for the children.

It is just going to be meltdown city and teh school are unwilling to alter anything for him.
Normally i would say that it's ok he can just not participate..but the fabulous school have already told him abouty it and he is really excited.

so tell me...am i being too PFB about it or should the school make allowances for him given his Sn?

OP posts:

dustystar · 08/09/2008 18:44

I think they should take account of his sn. It may be that the Pool managment have certain rules about what to wear in the pool but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be flexible for a child with sn.

dustystar · 08/09/2008 18:45

Does he have any 1:1 support?

Original poster

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 19:07

he (is meant to) have 23 hours of 1:1 and he will have a TA with him during the entire lesson. but i don't think she will be in the water with him - something else im not happy with as he has mobility problems - and the school seem unable/unwilling to make any exceptions for him at all.

i really am quite stressed about it all.

OP posts:

anonandlikeit · 08/09/2008 19:17

They must make reasonable adjustments to allow a child with sn to access the curriculum.
If swimming is on the curriculum this also applies.
A slight change to the swimwear policy is a reasonable change.

Our LEA policy is that all children wear a swimming hat, I sent a hat with ds2 but the school were in agreement that if he wasn't able to cope with the hat then he would go in without.
Could you send both types of shorts & a T Shirt & allow them to try to get him in the pool in the correct attire but let them know you expect them to allow him to swim with the T shirt & shorts if needed
Good luck

Original poster

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 19:20

well that was what i suggested. send him with these trunks but that if he really didn't want to then they could change him into what he would feel comfortable in.

al i got was a stone wall "no they wont allow that"

im thinking i may have to take this to the LEA for some proper advice. he is statemented so they must realise that there are area's of adaptation required.

OP posts:

ProfessorGrammaticus · 08/09/2008 19:27

Would it be out of the question to wait and see how the first session goes? (I do appreciate that it might be)

Original poster

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 19:50

not out of the question. i think i may have to take this course of action anyway if the swimming people won't budge. but i am worried he will miss out over something as silly as not being able to wear shorts.

if it goes really badly first time round i doubt he will want to go again and more importantly teh school will probablu say he isn't allowed.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 08/09/2008 19:52

That is a very dangerous environment for them to be p*ssing about with what he needs!!

Original poster

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 19:53

yeap. hence me stressing out totally.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 08/09/2008 19:54

Would he wear trunks that are cut like close fitting short shorts rather than pants IYSWIM? Or one of those all in one sun suits/a rash vest might be acceptable - I think the "no shorts" rule is because they puff up and are more obstructive than trunks.

LollipopViolet · 08/09/2008 20:00

A swimming pool ain't the place to be being like this! But then again I've no experience of this sort of thing (sight problem, school let me wear goggles with a note from my mum = no problem). They must take your concerns into account, surely? Does he have a statement? And does it have anything in it about intolerancies to certain types of clothing? Clutching at straws here but maybe if it's in his statement they can't ignore it?

Original poster

Mamazon · 08/09/2008 20:05

I have been looking online atthose all on one suit thingy's.
they are a bit expensive (for me...im poor) i will show them to him tomorrow and try to sell the to him about how cool they are...it may help that he watched some of the olympics and Phelps wore something similar.

I will also have to check with school if they are allowed.

yes he is fully statemented. It doesn't specifically mention clothing but it does state that he finds new experiences difficult and needs extra support when attempting new activities.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 08/09/2008 20:10

Mothercare have a 2 piece one - not sure if top & shorts will get past the school rules.

jicky · 08/09/2008 20:21

If you know the pool he will be using, why not contact them direct to ask for their policy on shorts/t-shirts ? If it is a regular public pool they will probably be fine with this sort of swim wear - otherwise all public pools would be full of fat men in speedos rather than baggy shorts!

Then you could approach the school and say that although shorts are not ideal for swimming lessons, they aren't banned or dangerous. It is the puffing up that makes them less than ideal for lessons, but since getting your son in and swimming is going to be a challenge tell them you don't really expect them to make him a super fast or stylish swimmer.

my dss all wear proper trunks for lessons, but always swim for fun in really baggy shorts as they like to be the same as dh (who really shouldn't wear little trunks!)

magso · 08/09/2008 23:22

I was worried about ds rejecting swimming trunks when he went with his ms school. He now goes with his sn school who have the same rule traditional style trunks only and no tops. Actually he coped ok with some boxer style ones like all the other boys. I explained that ( his accustomed)rash vests are not needed in indoor pools and were not allowed in school swimming.
The main difficulties for my barely verbal son was the noise and confusion. Would it help if you went also (I had to as ds had no 1:1 at the time, or he could not have joined in at all) - but had to be very discreet to avoid making him different! If waiting is likely to be a problem it might be worth asking if he could go first- or last, - my son could not understand the complicated instructions and got it wrong once (going too soon - when the rather dosy instructor gave a wave not intended for him) and had to sit out the rest of the session!
Chain stores like Asda, M+S, Tesco all do trunks and rash vests ( if allowed)reasonably, but may have finished the season especially in the hard to get larger sizes.

FioFio · 09/09/2008 09:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Nat1H · 09/09/2008 11:31

I wouldn't be happy with his 1-2-1 not being in the water with him - especially if he has mobility problems. Are the swimming teachers in the water?
I presume he can already swim?

Original poster

Mamazon · 11/09/2008 23:18

Well he goes tomorrow morning. i have packed him some short style trunks. he is not at all happy with them. I have also packed a t-shirt and some normal shorts.

I had a very long talk with his teacher and 1:1 today and they are going to try to get him into the trunks but if he really fights it then they will speak to the swimming instructor about him wearing shorts.

If they refuse i have asked to be contacted immediately and i will go down and speak to the manager - taking a whiole heap of DDA gumph with me!
If all else fails i will withdraw him from school during the swimming sessions and will take him myself.

OP posts:

dustystar · 12/09/2008 18:15

How did the lesson go?

Original poster

Mamazon · 12/09/2008 22:37

Thanks for asking dusty.

They were due to leave at about 10. he was obviously excited and wanted to go but was also very nervouse about the whole trunk thing.
he ended up calling his TA a bitch and throwing a chair.

I was actually in with teh head atthe time (on a seperate matter - to do with court) and as soon as we started speaking to him about why he did it, and the fact that he wasn't going to be able to go swimming he shouted that he didn't want to go cos he didnt want to wear them silly pants.

He had deliberatly been aggressive in order to be stopped from going swimming.

Head is new this term and he was fantastic. he picked up on what was going on without me needing to spell it out to him (like i did the former head) and he asked him outright if he had thrown the chair so that he didnt haver to go swimming. I think emotions are a bit too complex for Ds to understand and he said thathe didn't know...i honestly dont think he did know why.

he asled him if he didnt want to go swimming because of the trunks issue and he said yes.
so without even battng an eyelid he said well then Ds "if yuo come with me to apologise to your TA i will call the swimming pool and i will make sure they know that you are allowed to wear normal shorts"
and he did.
Apparantly the pool weren't happy but the head made it quite clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer so they caved!

Ds loved the swimming lesson, he participated in everything and was full of it when he came home.....brandishing his homework and tellign me all about the maths lesson he had this afternoon

All that from a child who wouldn't even hold a pencil this time last year.

OP posts:

magso · 12/09/2008 23:23

Brilliant HT! Hope ds gets to wear his shorts next week too!

LollipopViolet · 13/09/2008 12:11

Wow, good on your HT for listening to you and understanding your DS's needs and emotions. I'm glad he enjoyed it in the end.

anonandlikeit · 13/09/2008 13:56

Fantastic great news

..... I wrongly read your post as "I was in bed with the head at the time"
I must get my eyes tested!

dustystar · 15/09/2008 16:08

What a fantastic head. I'm glad ds had a good time

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