Swimming is one of the most amazing sports and activities because of the social and neurological and social advantages and because it is a versatile sport that benefits everyone. While it offers a wide range of benefits for all children, learning to swim is particularly beneficial for special needs children, such as autistic children. So if you are looking for special needs swimming lessons near me for your autistic child, you are in the right direction.
Generally speaking, there are three significant goals for a swim program specially curated for special needs children. It includes:
- Developing self-confidence
- Teaching a life-saving skill
- Boosting physical activity levels
Apart from this, if we believe the reports, drowning is one of the leading causes of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Moreover, children who have ASD are 160 times more likely to die from drowning when compared to neurotypical children. So learning swimming is a necessary skill for all children. But, it is especially vital for children who have special needs. Wandering, sensory overload, and motor skills are just some things that can increase the risk of children with special needs drowning. Apart from increasing their safety around water, swim lessons can help the children with various other surprising benefits.
Let us see what they are:
- Physical Benefits of Learning to Swim
For children of any ability level, the pool can be quite a fun and relaxing environment for exercising their bodies. The water resistance helps build muscle tone and strength with every stroke or kick. This is even more essential for children with disabilities as swimming. It helps them with balance, coordination, and the development of motor skills. To achieve a physical goal, they will isolate muscle groups and learn to coordinate various motions
It is because children learn to float and then move through the water.
For children with special needs who have movement restrictions, the pool can help improve a wide range of motion. This is because the buoyancy in water decreases the body weight by 80% by offering a space for restriction-free movement.
- Emotional Benefits of Learning to Swim
There can be nothing more rewarding than the look on your child’s face when they think, “I did it!” Two of the important goals of any childhood swim program are building self-esteem and developing self-confidence. In addition, while learning new skills, many children continue to explore their new abilities and boundaries, which gives them an exponential sense of achievement.
Additionally, special needs swimming lessons near me
for children to work through a progression that ultimately aims at getting the child to function among a group of other high-functioning special needs peers. With each stage of the progression, children experience new social interactions, and they learn a great deal from a cohesive team environment.
- Safety Benefits of Learning to Swim
As said already, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children with autism. This is because of the fascination with the water and a general lack of understanding of danger. Across the board, children who have special needs are at a higher risk of drowning. Teaching them to swim can mean the difference between life and death.
Apart from this, a child also develops a better spatial awareness as they use reference points and explore water depth.
These are some benefits of employing your child in special needs swimming lessons near me.
Conclusion-
When you enroll your special child at a reliable swimming class, all their instructors dedicate themselves to the well-being of each student. Using effective techniques to teach children of all ability levels makes sure each child can enjoy all of the physical, emotional, and safety benefits.
