Big Blue Swim School in Naperville is making a splash this April, spreading awareness about Autism Acceptance Month.
Its adaptive swim lessons help families with kids on the spectrum navigate water safety.
Kids with autism have higher drowning risk
Children on the spectrum have a higher risk of water-related accidents. The National Autism Association reports that children with autism have a drowning risk up to 160 times greater than other kids.
Big Blue Regional Manager Tony Biars has a son with autism, who is drawn to the water. That motivated Biars to put him in swim lessons.
“One thing we noticed, when we are around water, or any body of water, is that the first thing he wants to do is, like, jump into the pool, regardless of how deep it is. So being a parent, making sure he can swim, that’s something I’ve been passionate about, that I brought to Big Blue, and that’s one of our goals, is to make sure not just every kid can swim, but any kid can swim,” Biars said.
Making swim lessons achievable for all kids
Instructors at Big Blue, like Faith Saelinger, are certified in Swim Angelfish adaptive swim programs.
Saelinger keeps her lessons loosely scheduled so kids can attempt skills at their own pace.
“I meet them where they are. If they are wanting to splash around a little bit, if they want to get adjusted, just kind of get their wiggles out a little bit, absolutely. And then I figure out how to kind of incorporate into lessons,” Saelinger said. “With my typical lessons, we have a warm up, we have a more tailored to the curriculum, versus my adaptive lessons are tailored to the individual themselves.”
Before the first lesson, Big Blue gives parents an intake form so instructors can better understand and support their child. Instructors also meet with the parents to communicate expectations.
Unique tools guide adaptive lessons
They also use unique tools to aid communication and help kids feel comfortable.
“We have a little bit more tools that we use, a lot more sensory items. We have the boards, like a speak board. We give them a gold star once they pass their kicking, and they acknowledge that they got their kicking done,” Biars said.
Partnering with Turning Pointe for Autism Acceptance Month
This month, the school is partnering with Turning Pointe Autism Foundation to raise awareness. Kids can leave a blue handprint at the swim school when they donate $1 to the foundation or enter the raffle.
“A lot of people don’t understand autism still, so it’s something that we’re trying to teach, not just through the swim community, but outside as well,” Biars said. “It’s important for everybody to swim. I think it’s a life skill, not just for other kids, but every kid, every person, should know how to swim.”
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