Water

Nea loves the water.  It's one of the first things we noticed about her when she was a baby.  Bathing in the tub was tons of fun and she would kick and squeal in the bath.  She enjoyed it so much, her Poppa and I thought it might be a good idea to enroll her in a swim class.

We went to our local YMCA for a Mommy & Me swim class when she was 6 months old.   She LOVED it.  Nothing about the water scared her, she was never hesitant, and she happily played in the water for as long as we would let her.  Of course when summer came, we spent most days in the local pools.  But we always returned to swim class at the Y in the Fall and Spring.

In my research I've learned that kids who are on the spectrum are very attracted to water.  Being surrounded by water provides a natural compression and feels good.  Some autistic kids cringe at touch, and some of them crave deep pressure....both varying extremes,  but each kid can find comfort in the water.  The water helps with balance, with proprioception and is a wonderful tool for sensory integration.

There's no reason not to build on this love of water. In fact, there's a very real reason.  We need  to be sure she can maneuver well in the water.

Nea @ 15 months

The number one cause of death in children with Autism is drowning.  Why?  The answer is simple.....

As I said, they are naturally drawn to it because it helps sensory deficits that many of these children suffer from.  Any type of water is fine.  There have been children that have drowned in water fountains as well as lakes, swimming pools and the like.  This is a tragedy of epic proportions and I hope no parent ever has to endure it.

Also remember that many of these kids are prone to wandering.  It doesn't take but a second for something to catch Nea's fancy and for her to wander off.  She doesn't have the same built in "stick close to Mom"  that most kids her age have.  Of course 16 month olds tend to wander too, but should move to a different developmental stage by the time they are 2 or so.  The wandering piece is such an issue that there are therapy dogs who work with Autistic children and are also taught how to track for them.  So not only do these dogs help to teach social skills they also will go and find little Suzy if she should venture away.  Some times the kiddos are tethered to the dog and the dog is given a parameter of a "travel zone."  Essentially the dog knows, "we stick close to the grown-up human" and doesn't allow the child to wander away.

It's important to know too that most Autistic kids do not have a sense of "danger" when it comes to the water.  There is no hesitation, there is no concern there is only "getting in" that seems to be hardwired.
I've seen this really begin to manifest in Nea as she gets older.  Some would call her a "dare-devil" but I know what she's doing and she's just trying to meet some sensory needs.  Her face has been under water for weeks now.  Sometimes I have to pull her up when she submerges herself because I'm fearful that she "forgets" she doesn't have gills.  She recently has started diving head first into the pool.

Nea @ 26 months

We finally joined our local YMCA this past September.  One of the branches has a great therapy and recreation pool that fits Nea's needs perfectly.  The girl is lucky that she has a Mama that feels confident in the water.  Swimming lessons were a "you must do it, no questions, this is not up for debate" things that my Mom made us do.  We grew up in a small town that was on a river.  Being a confident swimmer was high on her priority list.  I've been very grateful over the years for my swimming background.

The YMCA has great swim classes for all ages starting at 6 months.  In fact they have great programming for kids hands down and I highly recommend them!  Nea was in a swim class in the Spring, but after about 2 lessons (and lifeguard heart attacks) I pulled her out of class.  I couldn't get a handle on her impulse to be in the water and her inability to handle some of the instructor interactions.  It was the summer when she was diagnosed with Autism and sensory issues which made everything become very clear.

So we've been working most of the late summer and early fall in the pool together every weekend.  She has made a lot of progress and I try to simulate some of the things I know she will encounter in a class (she is enrolled for the upcoming quarter).  Repetition is key for her and she'll be better at class routines than she was before.   It seems that signing works best to communicate with her when she's excited.  It's like the visual cue gets in, even if the verbal one doesn't.  So I've been signing at the pool many things like "wait", "sit", "go", etc.  I think it will help.

We are fortunate to have a YMCA in our area that offers classes specifically for special needs kids.  They will be working on waiting for her turn, communicating with the instructor and listening to direction.  This is great prep for school coming up in 6 months!  They will be able to work on impulse control as well because she'll have some individualized attention.  So she'll get her social needs as well as some therapy needs met all at the same time.

Nea @ 2 1/2 years

We are looking forward to swim lessons in this new class!