Do we really love water?

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The animals in the ocean are my best friends.

I windsurf, sail, paddle, row, swim, and dive, and need to live in walking distance to the ocean to feel at home.

I live very close to the ocean and a number of rivers. I feel uncomfortable in public pools, but live white water rafting, kayaking and swimming in the lakes and streams in my area. Of course, I prefer not to be disturbed by strangers while I'm trying to enjoy myself so I typically swim in a specific part of a specific river that's surrounded by dense woods. This actually lead to the practice of swimming in a t-shirt, jeans and boots. It's a bit more challenging, but I'm a strong swimmer.

I also like watching and listening to rain (which is a good thing because I live in a place that has an exceptional amount of it). I find the gentle movements of a boat to be very relaxing. Just recently I was on a trip with a relative & I borrowed his inflatable kayak while he was fishing off of a dock, paddled 'til I was in the middle of the lake, then I decided to put my hat over my face, lay down & take a nap.

I've never heard that we were supposed to be drawn to water & don't have any way of knowing for sure if that's valid or not, but I know that I personally am.

I tried finding articles about it, but this (link) explains the how we are somehow drawn to water. Some autistic children have actually drowned because of their fascination towards water, which is sad... but it does raise a lot of suspicion and consideration that this theory may actually be true.

Loki, I clicked on your link but it did not open. Perhaps you can copy and paste it instead.

used to be a competitive swimmer and life guard. like to body surf.

Wow, Loki that article is really sad. Thanks for posting the link. It is particularly heart wrenching for me because we lost a little loved one like that in a family pool drowning. And I had been a professional life guard and swim instructor for years and it really tore me up. I felt all kinds of guilt for a very long time that I had not lived close enough this child to teach her to swim. I had taught so many other kids but not one whom I loved so much. Even though she lived in a different country and there was nothing I could have done to prevent losing her, I still felt the guilt and responsibility. It took years for me to come to grips with it and let go of the guilt.

I'm drawn to anything I get a free stim from. Water ripples, trees in the wind, a police light on a cop car.

Water I'm picky about. Getting wet- I HATE IT. Hate hate hate. I cry if I get caught in the rain, it feels like little tiny electric knives zapping me with every drop. I hate taking a shower too, so often will dry bathe on rough days. I love swimming but never in a pool, public or not. Chlorine is nasty and I don't like being close to people while I swim- also the drains are massive and terrify me.

Lakes are another matter- I will stay in a lake for hours, easily. I won't submerge and will fight anyone who tries to splash me. I also hate being wet out of the lake on the way to shore or to my towel. But, in the water... it's pure bliss. I feel normal.. or at least my idea of it.

Always loved to swim and play in water, when i first started reading about autism i was always thrown off by the question "are you fascinated by slowly flowing water?" and i thought it was bunk but then while i was walking home one day i passed by a stream and watched it for an hour because i have always loved streams and rivers, ever since i was a baby, now i understand what they mean by fascinated by slowly flowing water

I dunno....I think way too many people love the water to say it's any kind of autism thing. People like looking at water too. I think with autism it's more intense and we get more wrapped up in it, like most anything else interested in.

I love water, and am only truly happy when I live near to it. Am fortunate to live near to the sea and have a stormwater stream (which sounds lovely, especially great to fall asleep listening to it) running through the back of my property. I could swim "like a fish" from an early age without being taught (probably because I had no fear of water?) and loved to play with basins of water as a child, watching it swirl and make patterns. The fluidity and the way it interacted with light fascinated me. I did not know until recently that this might be an ASD thing. Generally I was fascinated by all of the four elements anyway, because the natural world fascinated me. It was much more interesting and comforting than the people around me in early (and later) childhood.

I can't remember not being able to swim. When I was a kid my mother would say that whenever we went to the beach or a pool I'd be the first one in and the last one out. I have an unusual fascination with streams or rivers and where they lead or connect to, and I love ponds with fish or frogs in them.

I've always loved the water. I'm very drawn to creeks, and even today, if there is a creek near me and I have a chance to go in it I will. I only like being in the rain at my own will.

When I was around 9 or 10 until I was almost 13 I HAD to have this little thing that played water and night sounds to sleep. I also had a little water fountain that had soft colorful lights in my room. The water soundtrack morphed into listening to soft classical music with my mp3 when I couldn't sleep. These days I don't need any sounds to sleep, but I do need to take a quick shower before I sleep, just to be in the water. I also wash my hands all the time, if I had to guess I'd say somewhere around 25-50 times a day. I'm not a germaphobe, the water just calms me down.