Water and Wandering

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Why do you think it is so that many autistics are drawn to water when they wander away?

http://nationalautismassociation.org/na ... community/

I know I am. That is very sad about those kids though.

They have heightened senses. They may love the way the water feels and the way it sparkles in the sunlight and the way it moves.
I think all children are drawn to water, but autistic kids may have no fear.

I find water very very calming and comforting. It does not matter if it is a quiet lake, babbling brook, massive waterfall, ocean, whatever it is, it feels like it calls me and draws me to it. And I was a swimmer too and I always felt very safe in the water like it wrapped me up in a silk cocoon that no one could penetrate. And like Marybird said, the sparkles and the wave patterns and all the beauty of water can be intoxicating to me.

I think it's because water smells better, and makes the air feel better around it. And green things, including nice shady trees, like to grow around water. And wild animals probably wander towards it as part of their routine, so if someone is smart enough to think they need to survive in a forest or whatever and the best way to do that is to observe how other things with similar needs survive, they'll eventually end up there. It catches the light so it sort of flickers, making it easy to see. It sounds nice, too.

That's why I can like water and have no trouble finding it.

Those are very sad stories. When I was little, I used to wander into water but my parents always somehow grabbed me. My mother got me into swimming lessons starting at a young age. I still am fascinated, calmed, and uplifted by clear clean water.

I just clicked the link. That always makes me sad to read about that.

Yeah, I do think a lot of us are drawn to water. When I was a kid I wandered but was caught quickly. As an older child it was usually at school. Once I ran away from the musical ,Sesame Street Live but my mum and granny caught me in the lobby. When I was a toddler I did climb into a fountain in a mall and apparently nearly drowned but was saved by my dad who was supposed to be watching me at the time. My mum thinks he just wasn't paying attention, even though I was a wanderer, because he is a very absent minded person.

*Oh, yeah, I was also drawn to water as an older child. I'd watch thin streams of water from rain puddles trickle off into the sewer, during recess, in the spring. The streams made particularly interesting patterns in the light and a pleasing sound, as Marybird said.

I think a part of it is because we feel much more naturally at home in water, especially with coordination and motor skills. I've read that it's very common for autistics to be great swimmers with great form and coordination when in the pool, even if they're absolute s**t at just walking when on dry land. Makes a lot of sense to me. I used to swim quite a bit as a kid. I believe the reason for it is the pressure of water against our bodies is soothing, much like Temple Grandin's squeeze machine. Somehow, once we're in water, we feel balanced and can "move right." I think this is why so many autistic kids are attracted to water.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

I like the sounds of water flowing, I find watching flowing water captivating. I will sometimes zone out for long periods while doing dishes because I am letting the water play over my hands.

I plan on spending as much time as I can by creeks and streams in the very near future. I just got my placer miners license and I plan on indulging a special interest and going mining for placer gold. I find being outdoors, by the water very calming. Being able to mess about outdoors with the water all day while hunting for gold just sounds right to me.


That said, I am soooo lucky to still be alive after some of the things I did as a kid.

The pool my mother had installed when she won "big money" at bingo almost cost me my life when I was sliding on the ice in the winter. I broke through, but I broke through into the tarp she had covered the pool with before winter (instead of draining it like a normal person). A few more seconds and I would not be here. The tarp had rotted some and I was able to tear through and find the hole I came through. Got a nasty dose of pneumonia for my troubles.

I had little to no supervison when I was in my mid to late teens. Everyone was working. My dad was working three weeks in the bush, one week out. His wife was working late hours. Left to my own devices I would go for bike rides. I rode my bike across a frozen lake in northern Alberta Canada just after spring breakup started, at around 8:30PM. so it was pretty much dark. I knew the lake was frozen enough to race cars and drive water trucks on all winter. I knew nothing of what a spring breakup was. I just wanted to get to the trails in town and the shortest route was across the lake on the "road" (they keep a road open on the lake in the winter) Otherwise I had to go around the long way.

Halfway across I broke through.

Lost the bike. I managed to scrabble out sliding on my belly. I thought I was safe to stand to keep going, broke through again.

When I got to the other side and flagged a cab down to take me home. My pantlegs were frozen stiff I almost could not get in the car.

Having flashbacks just remembering that. Not a fun place to find yourself. Eyes level with the ice surface, plunged into blindingly cold water, heart feeling like it is going to burst right out of your chest, then the mental/anxiety/panic kicks in.

I still really groove on water, just much shallower and usually of the river or creek variety. I avoid the larger and or faster bodies of water.

*edit*

I swim like a fish. Not literally. As in I can swim very well.

don't know but water has always been a major draw to me, even though i can't really swim. To be honest, even though I'm 13, they need to keep our pool fenced because there's still a possibility I'll wander into it and drown :/
And when I am in the pool with my floaties on i'll stay in there until my dad grabs me out (which can cause a fuss from me). and yeah, i could spend hours just looking at waves in the ocean, and i love blue so much too.
This is one of my favorite things:

I'v always liked water, Its just so calming and peaceful, the way it flows and the light shines on it our beautiful, its one of the wonder's of nature and its vital to survival plus most of this planet is water. I think where naturally drawn to water because of its beauty and wonder plus also as a survival tactic. I know personally I love it and that why one of my live long dreams has been to go Scuba Diving.

The article doesn't actually say "autistic people wander into water", it says "drowning is the most common cause of death for wandering autistics".

I would suggest autistic children avoid roads, the other danger, due to their noise. What else is gonna kill them? Water.

I think autistic people aren't "drawn to water", they're repelled from roads.

am a life long 'runner' but never disappeared into water due to having severe sensory issues with it,its only in the past two months have started going in water and swimming with a wet suit on after months of sensory integration.

for self,am tranced by being in water,it causes a profound calm that do not get from anywhere else.
but have always been calmed by the repetitive nature of rolling waves in the sea.

My mom is kind of like that. I don't like the smell of the ocean, the taste of the air around it, the way my skin and hair feels after being near it or swimming in it, and the way sand gets everywhere. I prefer lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks. Oceans actually used to annoy me more when I was a little girl. I remember my mom going on and on about what she loved about them, but I just didn't get it, and I really could not understand why she enjoyed the ocean so much. When I was younger, the only things I loved about oceans was making sand castles, and collecting seashells.

I love water I always gave. For me it's something that I find rather calming and comforting! I love to watch the sunlight on it and love it even more if there are fish in it! When I was little the best thing you could do was stick me in the tub or in the pool