Miramichi swim lessons help kids gain confidence and learn skills in a setting that is set up to help them learn
Stacey Ann Simon stands by the pool and watches her son play in the water and slowly get used to his surroundings. Her 5-year-old son with autism is taking swimming lessons that are tailored to how he learns best.
Simon said that even though it’s only his first session, she can already tell that her son is making progress, making friends, and learning useful skills.
“I want him to know how to be safe around water in case he ever goes to a pool. I love to fish. If I want to take him, it would be better if he could swim “she told me.
The modified lesson is part of Autism Swim Miramichi, a program that teaches children with autism how to be safe in the water while taking into account their learning and sensory needs. Its goal is to keep kids from drowning by accident and help them make friends.
WATCH | See a class on water safety at a pool in Miramichi:
The organization has been working in Miramichi for two years and started a program for First Nations children in early March.Jordan’s PrincipleAccording to the Indigenous Services Canada website, is a federal program that helps First Nations children living in Canada get the products, services, and help they need.
It’s one of the first certified swim programs for kids with autism in Canada.
Getting kids to know “where they’re at
Cindi Green, who started the program and is in charge of it, got her certification from Autism Swim in Australia. She said that she thought it was important to come up with lessons that would help children with autism learn.
“The waves reflect light, there’s a lot of noise, and when people talk, it’s hard to hear them. So we made a program that would lessen the effects of these senses and a program that would teach kids where they are “Green said.
All of the lessons are taught one-on-one by certified lifeguards who have been trained to work with autistic children. They use timers so that a child can know what to expect, and they keep the number of toys to a minimum to keep the pool deck from getting too busy.
Lalla McFarlane, who is in Grade 12, worked as a lifeguard before becoming a teacher.
“It’s really cool how different each kid is. You learn a lot about each kid, and the bonds you form with them are so amazingly cool “she told me.
McFarlane said that she likes teaching one-on-one and that staying flexible is a challenge she enjoys.
“Sometimes you have to change your lesson to make sure they’re comfortable and can finish it,” she said.
Focus on water safet
Traditional swimming lessons, like those offered by the Lifesaving Society, usually teach people how to swim better and how to become lifeguards in the future. But at these swim classes, the focus is on how to stay safe in the water.
Children with autism are often drawn to water, but they are more likely to drown by accident than their peers. From 2009 to 2011, the National Autism Association in the United States heard about 90 percent of all deaths of children 14 or younger with autism spectrum disorder.
Green said that the program teaches young people basic skills, like how to swim with someone else and wait for permission before jumping into the water.
“We know that, in general, children with autism need rules to follow. And they think in very real terms. So maybe we can help keep a child from actually drowning if he or she gets lost and ends up in the water.”