Amazing Benefits of Swimming for children with Special Needs
Updated: Jul 18, 2019
When creating our custom individualized program for each child, we strongly believe in the holistic approach. We love including swimming into our individualized program and we are constantly advocating for its numerous benefits. Here at Exploring Mates, we work with swim coaches who understand the challenges that our kids on the spectrum face.
1.) Lowered risks of accidental drowning
Many of our children (and young adults) on the spectrum love being in the water. But this fascination can be dangerous! Swimming lessons can create safer and more confident little swimmers which can mitigate some of the risks involved and reduced the dangers of accidental drowning.
2.) Reducing sensory overload
Individuals with autism experience an over stimulation of their senses when in certain everyday situations. Swimming as well as other physical activities help to release the stress and anxiety they experience from sensory overload. This, in turn, can increase their speech and cognitive function as documented in the International Journal of Sport Psychology.
3.) Calming repetitive movements
The repetitive strokes can also help with calming their minds. A normal day can bring about so many challenges for someone on the spectrum. The continuous and repetitive strokes helps to calm them and we have consistently noticed a prolonged calmness when our kids have regular time at the pool.