Tis the Sea-son: Considerations for Swimming and Swim Lessons for Children with NDD

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018), children aged 6 to 17 years old are recommended to be engaging in one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. The benefits of engagement in physical activity in children are many. Children who engage in physical activity are more likely than their peers who do not engage in physical activity to have more prevention of chronic diseases, enhanced cognitive functioning, better academic performance, and display differences in structural brain volumes when the brain is looked at using an MRI machine (Chaddock-Heyman et al., 2014). Despite the benefits of physical activity, research suggests that children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are less likely to engage in physical activity compared to neurotypical peers. More so, children with NDDs are less likely to engage in group physical activities than their peers (Arim et al., 2012). This blog post will cover the benefits of swimming for children, the increased importance of teaching children with NDDs to swim, safety precautions caregivers can implement for their children, considerations for choosing swim instructors, and local swim classes available for children with NDDs.

As summertime is approaching, many children and parents may want to engage in swimming as a form of physical activity, whether at the beach or a friend’s or family’s pool. Learning to swim has been found to have many benefits for all children, regardless of disability status, including increased drowning prevention, water safety skills, confidence in the water, enjoyment in the water, and socialization with peers (Moran & Stanley, 2006). Despite these many benefits, it is important to note that learning to swim is especially important for children with NDDs, as they may be at an increased risk of unintentional injuries due to drowning. For example, the results of a study by Guan and Li (2017) suggested that in autistic children younger than 15 years of age, drowning was within the top 3 causes of unintentional injuries leading to death. As such, the authors emphasized the need for clinicians, caregivers, and providers to connect autistic children to swimming lessons as soon as they receive a diagnosis.

There are several safety precautions recommended by researchers and medical professionals that caregivers can implement to reduce the risk of drowning for children. To begin, research suggests that a family or friend’s pool is the number one spot young children are likely to drown. As such, it is essential that when swimming is occurring or a child is near water, undivided adult supervision is provided (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022; Moran & Stanley, 2006). Of note, another study’s results indicated that of children who have died of drowning, the ability to swim did not statistically lessen the risk of death (Brenner et al., 2015), highlighting the importance of adult supervision even when children are perceived to be able to swim. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2022) recommends that caregivers begin swim lessons with their child as early as age 1, caregivers empty all sources of water, keep the bathrooms locked, ensure their children are wearing life jackets in open water, put up pool fencing, and learn CPR. Additionally, the National Autism Association (2022) suggests that if caregivers have a pool, to make sure that pool is fenced or not able to be accessed by your child without an adult, consider a pool alarm to notify you if your child has entered the pool area, and remove all pool toys between uses (in order to reduce motivation for your child entering the pool). Additionally, the National Autism Association suggests that if your neighbors have a pool, to ask them to be mindful of safety precautions and notify you if they see your child near or in their pool. Lastly, the National Autism Association notes that autistic children may be more likely to wander to different bodies of water, and describes that just because your child does not wander to one type of water does not mean they may not wander to another type of water.

If you are interested in enrolling your child with an NDD in swimming lessons, there are several accommodations that may be offered that you may look for in a swim lesson provider. First, it is suggested by the National Autism Association (2022) that providers make the last swim lesson be one where the child wears their clothes and shoes, to mimic a real-life scenario more accurately. Next, you may look for providers who are knowledgeable about sensory considerations, such as slowly introducing your child to the feeling of their body in water. You may also want to look for a provider that has a consistent routine for their lessons, such as including a warm-up at the beginning of the lesson and a cool down period at the end of the lesson (Hattabi et al., 2022). Lastly, it may be important to look for a provider who uses basic behavioral strategies to teach swimming, including shaping, prompting, visual aids, and the utilization of breaks. When you have found a provider you like, we recommend touring the facility with your child so that you can assess if it is a good fit for your child and so that your child can be introduced to the new environment prior to starting lessons.

Below you will find a list of swim lesson providers (listed alphabetically) near the Ann Arbor area who offer special classes or accommodations for children with NDDs/special needs:

• Ann Arbor YMCA – individual and group lessons (https://www.annarborymca.org/classes/infant-and-preschool/swimming/)
• Aqua-tots – S.N.A.P (https://www.aqua-tots.com/s-n-a-p-swim-lessons-for-children-with-special-needs/)
• Arbor Autism Center – Aquatic Program (https://arborautismcenters.com/aquatic-therapy)
• Goldfish Swim School – Ask for special needs classes (https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/)
• Liberty Athletic Club – Note, not specifically tailored for children with NDD and requires a membership (https://www.libertyathletic.net/aquatics/liberty-swim-school)
• Rec & Ed – Note, not specifically tailored for children with NDD (https://www.a2schools.org/reced)
• SafeSplash Swim School – Adaptive Aquatics (https://www.safesplash.com/special-needs-swimming-lessons)

Learning to swim through structured programs like the ones listed above can be very beneficial for all children and provide a great opportunity for socialization. Happy swimming!