Autism and Swimming

Today is Wednesday so that means it is pool time with the physical therapist and Aubrey.  Swimming is Aubrey's favorite activity in the world.  Being in a large body of water trumps everything else in life, even the iPad.  The sensory input from the water is the most invigorating activity she has ever experienced. 

Playing in a bath is not something Aubrey was able to experience until she was almost 2 1/2 years old because of her trach.  Once she was finally able to have some freedom in water, she immediately wanted to put her head under and hold her breath. It's one of the most interesting things I've have ever watched her do.  Holding her breath under water came so natural to her.  I assume it is because she was never taught to fear water.  She was never around a swimming pool or lake or anything simply because it was too risky with the trach.   

She started PT after we had been here for about 6 months. She had always had PT services in Las Vegas and I'm not sure why it was not immediately added to her IEP once she started school in North Dakota.  She was definitely still missing developmental milestones but it was completely being overlooked.  I finally called the PT department at the hospital myself and had an evaluation setup.  After the evaluation was completed, it was added to her IEP.  The therapist started with some land therapy but after trying aquatic therapy, there was no going back.  Aubrey was a completely different child in the water.  She moved and used muscles in a way that made it look like she had been swimming for years.  It was obvious that swimming was the ultimate experience for her.  I decided that I would take her to therapy after school once a week instead of cutting into her time in the classroom.  The school would still be covering the cost and it made the most sense to me. 

Today she worked on swimming into the current, placing rings over numbered sticks and catching a beach ball. I am always in the water with her and serve as her safety net because she cannot touch the bottom and needs assistance from one activity to the other.  Her physical therapist is, in my opinion, the best therapist she has working with her.  I can see that she really cares for Aubrey and wants to see her succeed. 

I think it's important to explore new activities in any type of therapy your child is involved in.  Aubrey would probably still be having trouble walking if we hadn't introduced her to aquatic therapy.