Swim lessons

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That's why I had to drop out of swimming lessons when I was a kid. I still can't put my face in water without water going up my nose. I had to drop out because they wouldn't let me use a nose plug.

I think they should have just let me wear one so I'd learn all the other stuff.

I think they finally figured this out with my son - they let him move up, despite him struggling with back float.

I remember swim lessons... The first one was a complete disaster.. sounded much like your daughters experience only my son almost drowned Then I found a smaller pool, and smaller classes. We did outdoor lessons, instead of indoor lessons. We are lucky to have 4 recreation/pools near us that offer lessons. I even paid for private lessons when things got hard for him.

Some things I noticed:

1. Large classes were distracting for him.
2. The indoor facility had too many noises, everything echoed. The noises that were present were too much for him.
3. He had to repeat many of the classes. It took longer for him to process the steps.
4. I started to use picture cards, to transition from home to the pool and then to the lessons themselves.
5. I had to explain to the instructors that while my son can talk, he can't process language. Teach him as you would teach someone who is deaf.
6. Engage with him about his interests, make sure he is listening to you by touching his checks.

I tried to put him in lessons I think a little too early. Waiting until he was still young (7) and small enough to control I think made a huge difference. I always look at my son as 1/3 of his age in pretty much everything he does.

Today my son can swim to save himself. Its not perfect, but he enjoys swimming so Im glad I stuck with it.

My son did too. They just made accommodations for this, and he swims with his head out of the water. I would think since this is related to a disability, they would be required to make some accommodations here?

Maybe they would now. I've never been diagnosed with anything and I'm 37 now so when I had problems with swimming lessons it would have been around mid 80s probably.

I had some of the same problems with my daughter when she started learing to swim. Luckily we started early and I was able to be in the pool with her for the first lessons. I would suggest finding a situation where the class sizes are small and letting the instructor know she has special needs. I would also recommend having her wear earplugs if necessary to reduce the noise level of an indoor pool. My daughter had to take the same level over many times before she was moved up, but we didn't care. She loved being in the water and it was great exercise for her.

I am from Australia where the leading cause of accidental death in children under 5 is from drowning. I live in an area where schools have swimming as part of the curriculum from 5 year's of age and where there are very high numbers of private pools and in addition my inlaws have an unfenced pool. Private swimming lessons for our Asperger's son have been a must and unfortunately not a choice for us. He has to learn to be water safe. He has gone weekly from the day he turned 2 year's of age and he is now 6. Most kids his age are swimming beautifully and are on to their second or third stroke. We just focus on him and our bigger aim which is water safety and enjoyment. We are focusing on breaststroke right now as freestyle is quite difficult to manage. Just a few tips - putting a child's face in a small amount of bath water and having them blow bubbles is a good way to start water awareness. From a very early age we would say our child's name and then say 1, 2, 3, and pour water over their heads. This is what we are taught to do in Australia from birth so it does help a little when they are ready to hop into a pool. But it has to come with the warning so they know what is going to happen. Another thing we did with our AS son was get him into goggles asap. That made a big difference. He also seems to like the swimming cap pulled over his ears - maybe it muffles some sound.

I can understand your husband getting a bit frustrated but if it helps him at all, try and view your daughter as physically about a year or two younger than her age. That is about where my son seems to sit - he progresses, albeit slowly, but he is delayed. We started out with a lot of water 'fun' for both my kids and still try and enjoy some free swimming time after the lesson. I try not to think about how much money we have 'sunk' into his swimming lessons and how he still looks a bit like an octopus in a washing machine. I try not to look at our 3 year old doing pencil dives from the edge and swimming to the other side with such ease. I really try to focus on water safety and enjoyment and getting through yearly swimming carnivals!

As to the instructor, you need someone who is patient, and as one wise poster said earlier, a school that won't push your child beyond their limits to move them up a class. We now pay for a private swimming lesson at the end of the group classes so there are very few children left in the pool. We also do some land practise of strokes.

Personally, I would start with making sure you are in a nice warm pool and easing into it to get her confidence. A back float is very hard for ALL children, not just AS kids. I would be working on the blowing bubbles or paddle and kick versus a back float. Or monkey, monkey around the pool walls. Another fun idea we do is blowing bubbles in the pool and bath with a straw and then gradually leading up to putting the face in.

Looking at my two kids, my 3 year old is almost a better swimmer than my 6 year old and they have had the same exposure. Unfortunately our AS son has to try twice as hard to be half as good. We do try and use different motivators at time, especially when it is winter.

But don't give up. Try and have some fun and some play time and enjoy your time together.

I just wanted to commend you for trying to find the best suitable activity for your child. I were not so lucky, but eventually I got into a swimming team around 11 years old or so, and the two years I did that was just heaven (it got cancelled). However, if you find out swimming is not your kids thing, then perhaps cross country running could be something to consider when she is abit older. Fresh air, nature, running and using her intellect (solitary activities are usually what "we" excels in). Best of luck

Even if swimming ends up not being her thing, you can still teach her water safety. Right now, while she is young and small, you can teach her to wear a lifejacket, tell her the dangers of water, tell the rules for swimming pools, and when she should be with a parent. When she is older, you can make sure she can swim 50 continuous meters and tread water - most drownings happen within 50 meters of shore. In our schools we have a program where kids have to roll into deep water, tread water for a minute or so, and swim 50 meters non-stop.

This might make you feel better. My son who will be six this month has had swim lessons twice already and still can't figure out the most basic stuff. His sister, who is only 3 can paddle and kick her way around a pool (with a lifejacket on) while he still struggles to propel himself. He enjoys floating around the pool in his lifejacket, but he is now seeing that his friends can actually swim, so he's asking for more lessons. I'll get him in lessons again, but I do think it'll be slow going. He doesn't know how to straighten his legs out and kick... it's almost like he's walking in the water instead.

We know his gross motor skills are at the lower end of average or slightly delayed, so I'm just guessing it'll come along eventually. Hopefully he won't get discouraged.

If your daughter does have AS, she is likely having some motor planning issues.. often associated with sensory processing issues. And, also, with some of the behavioral stuff, the pool can be quite stimulating, which can cause a sensory kid to get pretty wound up and unable to focus. HAng in there! Hopefully the evaluation will be helpful.

A few more things. A friend of mine whose son is also Aspie, put him in individual lessons. He was so terrified of the water and couldn't cooperate in a group class. Also, the times they made the individual lessons were during less hectic times in the pool. Aspie kids often have a hard time in places with a lot of noise and commotion. Our local YMCA actually offers pretty decently priced one on one lessons.

if it was me, I would NOT have dad teach her.... that's just me, though... we get too frustrated!! And, it sounds like your hubby gets frustrated with her for not wanting to put her face in the water, etc. So, I think a third party would be better.

Also, my son has had a lot of success in gymnastics class and tae kwon do. Soccer was too much. He couldn't really track what was happening on the field, so I've been looking into things that don't rely so much on tracking a ball and other team members.

Good luck!! !

Well today we had another swim class. It went OK in that she was not disruptive really but spent most of the time zoned out and would only try a few things. The instructor said that regardless of her DX, she needs to be in private swim lessons because this is her second time through the most basic class and she said most kids her age pick up something and progress where as she has literally not made any progress at all. There are three year olds in her class on the verge of swimming and she is struggling with kicking at the side of the pool. I just find it... interesting? I don't know, that she practically memorized everything they taught her on water safety day (putting on sunscreen, wearing a life vest etc...) but she cant kick or float.

Your daughter sounds exactly like my 7 yr old son. He is very uncoordinated. He did not learn to walk until he was almost 2, and didn't jump until almost 4. Every physical thing we try to get him involved in is a struggle. He has no interest whatsoever in learning to ride a bike, learning to play soccer, we really have to encourage him to do most things physical. He is getting better about climbing on playground equipment, but doesn't like to if there are too many other kids on it.

He does have apraxia and motor planning issues. He still hestitates sometimes when he goes to step off a curb. With swimming, he actually loves the water, but the actual swimming is no different than any other physical activity for him. I have just decided to take him to the pool myself and work on teaching him very slowly myself. Right now he does not want to put his head under water either, but at least we are making progress....last year he did not even want his hair to get wet (even though he is okay with getting it washed in the bathtub). I am just taking it one step at a time. Right now he is getting the kicking part down, and I show him how to do the arms, but it is the putting it all together that is the tricky part. He is now tall enough that he can walk across the pool too, and he really enjoys playing around in the pool, so I decided I was not going to push it because I want him to still like the pool and not decide he didn't like it because the pressure was too much. I think he will get there eventually, but it will take more time. I decided not to worry about it. I want him to enjoy it. I had to stop comparing him to other kids when he was so delayed in walking and has been physically delayed in everything ever since. I want to keep trying to find whatever physical thing may be his thing---at this point I am thinking he may just be a runner because my husband loves to run, and he can do this on his own.

I hope this helps---hang in there.

My daughter also had a lot of trouble with swimming and swim classes. Each year I would enroll her and each year she would not participate. She finally learned to swim last year at age 8. She still does not like to submerge but will. My point is this: keep trying. Each time my daughter refused an activity (there were SEVERAL) I would back off and try again at a later time. They are on their own schedule. You just keep reintroducing the activity and see if there is any interest yet.

She has been doing pretty good when we take her to the pool, but today her swim lesson was not so good. Today I also saw very clear evidence supporting the theory that she has AS. Today she literally stimmed for half the lesson (bounced around repetitively, whiel staring at the ceiling and wiggling her fingers) and for the other half plugged her ears insisting that the mommy/baby swim lesson in the lane over was being to loud when they sang songs like "the wheels on the bus".

It was really clear that she was overwhelmed by the people, sounds, and lights at the pool. I don't think she even knew the instructor was talking let alone listened to her. She probably does better when we take her to the pool because it is the outdoor pool and it is not as loud in there.

I signed up for private lessons for her, but there is a wait list. Not sure how long it is, we are going to the pool later and I'll see if I can find out then.

Have you tried swimmer's ear plugs? I've never used them, and they're for a different purpose (keeping ears dry) but they might well reduce the noise to a tolerable level for your daughter. Just thought I'd throw that out there.