How to find a swimming instructor who is trained in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Participation in formal swim lessons has been associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in young children.
(Brenner et al. 2009)
As you are no doubt aware, teaching swimming to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be difficult and requires specialist training, procedures, resources and support. Finding a qualified swimming instructor with these skills is not always easy! Autism Swim is here to help.
We offer training, resources and support to swim instructors and swim centres, so that they are better geared to teach your son/daughter swimming and water safety. Our AS-Approved instructors learn about relevant areas such as sensory challenges, behaviours of concern, and communication methodologies (to name a few) and they receive targeted resources from us on a monthly basis.
We are an international, multi-disciplinary organisation, combining the expertise of Autism Specialists, Behaviour Specialists, Occupational Therapists and Swimming Teachers. Our job is to assist swimming teachers/centres to facilitate stronger outcomes for their swimmers with ASD/cognitive deficit.
We are Autism Specialists and accredited swimming teachers who understand the complexities of ASD and the support mechanisms necessary to educate individuals on water safety, equipping them with the necessary skills to be confident and safe in the water.
Unfortunately, drowning is among the leading causes of death in individuals with ASD. Over 90% of total death reports in children with ASD under 14 is a result of accidental drowning. Our aim is to lower these statistics, imparting knowledge on how individuals with ASD acquire skill-sets in a fun and supportive environment.
Where’s the closest AS-Approved centre or instructor to you?
To find your closest Autism Swim Approved Instructor or Centre, click here to view our locations map (simply click on your area or type your postcode into the box). If you can’t see a centre or instructor near you, please email us with the details of some of the swim centres or instructors in your area. We will make contact with them to see if they’re interested and suitable in becoming Autism Swim Approved. Additionally, it’s also really useful if you contact them yourself so that they know parents are looking for this specialised service. Here’s a brochure that you can download and give to the swim centre or instructor which contains additional information.
How can else can we help?
1. The most proactive thing you can do as a parent is undertake our parent training. By doing so, you will receive furtherunderstanding and practical resources on a range of ASD insights, including wandering prevention, water safety and successful aquatics programs.
Many parents don’t realise that their child would be considered ‘high risk’ and have never received any expert advice on this. Through Autism Swim you have an opportunity to learn from clinicians who specialise in these areas.
2. We have a range of free blogs which may be of interest to you.
3. Thirdly, we also have a range of resources available in our online store –the most important being our Wandering and Drowning Prevention Toolkit. This toolkit has been designed by a range of specialists to mitigate the associated wandering and drowning risks for children with ASD/cognitive deficit.
What do people say about Autism Swim?
“I attended the Course last week and found it to be a wealth of information. The content of the course was made extremely interesting by a facilitator whose fluid presentation saw the day fly!! The factual information I gathered during the course will be easy to apply to clients with Autism. I highly recommend attending this course if an opportunity arises”.
Shari, Swimming Instructor
“Words cannot express how fantastic this program has been for our family. Thank you for turning this into a dream come true experience and for all your efforts in teaching water safety, confidence and strength to these beautiful human beings living with ASD. Ayla has overcome her fear of waves and enjoys the water with a new level of confidence she previously didn’t have. We would love to be a part of all future programs like this that you may run!”Yasmin, mother of child with ASD, participating in nippers program
“We are absolutely loving this program for our kids. Most special needs programs set limits on these amazing kids and assume everything needs to be simplified. This program ensures the kids are very well supported so that they can achieve their greatest potential, just like a typically developing child.”Alicia, mother of children with ASD, participating in nippers program
“Well what a difference a day makes after attending your course. We now have a larger than life tool box when it comes to teaching strategies and their effects. My first day back in the water after attending your course was amazing. My classes are now a breeze as the methods you taught us have the same positive effect on the whole class (ASD as well as mainstream), making my sessions much more proactive, positive, powerful, safe and fun”.Teresa, Swimming Instructor
“The training course I attended was fantastic. You made me understand Autism in a whole new way. Your stories and teaching were outstanding for both use in a swim environment as well as for general personal use. Keep up your knowledge and spreading your enthusiasm as you are a wealth of information. Thank you.”
Natalie, Swimming Instructor
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when an instructor is Autism Swim Approved?
This means that the centre or the instructor has undertaken our initial training and now receives resources and support from us to more effectively teach your little swimmer.
Are Autism Swim Approved lessons covered by the NDIS?
It is up to the Autism Swim Approved Centre/Instructor as to whether they choose to register as a provider or not. In our locations tab, each centre or instructor has indicated if they currently are, or plan to become registered as a provider. For more information on swimming and the NDIS, please click here.