Right time to start swimming lessons?

[Barmymummy]

DS (4) with ASD traits suffers from high anxiety over new things. One of these includes having swimming lessons. He LOVES water and is throwing himself in the water no problem (not underwater though yet). He sees DD having lessons and says he wants to go in. I show him the small pool and tell him he would go in there and be taught by the lady. He then says no thank you .

We tried lessons almost a year ago and it was a disaster. He was so skittish around the teachers that they visibily got irritated and we ended up leaving after 5 weeks. Not once had he got in the water. I ttok him a free session at a private pool (just to see what he was like and again he was skittish as hell. He goes from being fairly normal to loud, skittish and very nervous of the teacher. They said he def needs 1:1 attention but no way can I afford to pay privately.

Anyway, he is only 4 and I am sure with age he will get a bit better and confident so I wondered what ages your dc went to a club, swimming or otherwise?

Thanks

We tried swimming lessons too early with my autistic DS and lost out on a couple of years due to his then developing a phobia of this one pool ( they basically put him in deep water without his arm bands, and he was petrified of all swimming for ages). Only now, aged 6 1/2 , have I dared start again and he is actually swimming under the guidance of a great SEN swim teacher!!! With my daughter (NF, but the point may still hold good) I also spent years of wasted lessons, and she only really "got it" about 2 years ago, meaning also at 6. Maybe it should just be about acclimatisation to water and fun at the moment, and leave lessons till later? But that's just one opinion, would be interested in others.

Thats how I am starting to think too. There is so much competition between the mums that little Johnny swam the channel this weekend that I think we lose sight that they are still only little.

You are right I think. Far more important for him to enjoy the water and be confident in it than to force lessons on him. Am going to get him some goggles as I was told by the swim teacher that ASD kids LOVE going underwater as its their own little world iykwim. Would love to see what DS makes of it

Thanks for the reassurance [smile

Good plan, though I would be wary of the swim teacher saying "asd kids love going under water". I think you can never really say all ASD kids like any one thing, they are all so different! My boy, for instance, is only now just about getting his chin under the water and would HATE to be submerged. Just see what he finds fun, and you're right to make it an enjoyment not a lesson at this age I think.

we ended up getting one-one lessons for our son as no-one wanted to know because of his 'problems' but this was years ago,the instructor was fantastic and he still asks how he's doing.he was about 6 and only at part time school so it fitted in the afternoons.

I teach swimming & when they are ready to learn depends a lot on the child. Often girls have more body awareness & focus at a younger age and so I think are more likely to succeed younger. Lots of children aren't ready for lessons before around 5.

That was meant to say lots of NT children aren't ready before around 5.

The important thing is to still take them to the pool even if not for lessons so it's not a completely alien and unpleasant experience when they do start lessons.

Thanks snorkie

Is there a swimming club for people with disabilities near you?
My DD goes to a regular swimming club and a disabled one. She has no physical disability ( other than epilepsy) but does have LD.
I find swimming clubs have always worked better for us than the council run lessons.

there are courses for swim teachers specifically on asd i only know that as my NT kids teacher put it in the newsletter that she had been on one but DS (ASD) isn't ready for lessons yet. Perhaps you could ask the council if they run SN sessions and if their staff have asd specific training.

I think its a case of finding the right school, btu do think 4 is very young.

After a lot of knockbacks and people saying he needed 1:1, we did eventually find a great school with a swim teacher who was a qualified primary education teacher, and an assistant who was experienced with working with asd. They incorporated stickers and stuff for ds1 and were generally pretty good with him. The ratios were really low too, 1:3 mostly.

We had to stop because of physical issues, which was a shame really.

Thank you everyone, esp busybeingmum as that was really helpful.

I am going to leave it for now, carry on letting him play in the water and letting him enjoy it.

Thanks again, has really helped. Am going to take him Sunday and enjoy it instead of having a litte worry that he should be 'doing lessons'.

My daughter went to some fantastic special needs swimming lessons (1 to 1) when she was about 7 BUT there was about a 2 year waiting list so do keep a look out in the meantime. Do any of your local special schools have a pool or offer anything?

Not that I know of but I am going there this afternoon for my DD's lessons so maybe I'll ask at reception

Have you tried approaching your local hospital physiotherapy department, perhaps via gp referral. Our little poppet with CP attends the hydrotherapy pool weekly which is as warm as a warm bath. Also lovely physios who sing and play games to stimulate movement and interaction. Only a handful of kiddies (including DS) with mums/dads in water with them. Brilliant for building confidence in the water and in an environment which is not too noisy and overwhelming.