Learn to Swim
“In my world, there are no bad kids, just impressionable, conflicted young people wrestling with emotions and impulses, trying to communicate their feelings and needs the only way they know how.”
— Janet Lansbury
I Can Learn to Swim!
Swimming can be fun, good exercise, and a great way to meet other families in the community. But, swimming is also an important life skill that helps your child stay safe in and around water. Let’s break down some of the challenges of getting your child to the pool, and how we can support them:
Close your eyes and imagine the sounds of a public pool - splashing, lots of children laughing and yelling, the bouncing of the diving board, the loud dehumidifiers at an indoor pool, and the lifeguard blowing a whistle. All of these sounds are pretty unique to being at a public pool. For a young child, or a child with special needs, these sounds can be scary because they are different and unexpected. Throw in the smell of chlorine, getting splashed unexpectedly, and wearing clothes that feel different, and you have a recipe for a meltdown.
The great news is, we can help children prepare for a trip to the
pool to reduce their anxiety and fear of the unexpected:
Preparation Before Going to The Pool:
Read books and watch videos about the pool-
This is a very important step to help reduce your child’s anxiety and fear of the unknown. You can label new vocabulary (“lifeguard,” “swimsuit”), and point out things in the pictures that they will see when they get to the pool.
It can be very helpful to read or show your child a social story about going to the pool. This explains what to expect step by step, so that when they get to the pool, you can refer back to the steps (for example, “Look! We are in the locker room, just like in the video!”). Depending on your child’s needs, you could bring the social story with you, and follow along in the book as you complete each step, or build your own checklist of steps if your pool routine will be different from the social story.
Engage in imaginative play about swimming and going to the pool-
Pretend to be fish swimming around the living room, while watching a movie about the ocean, or a song about swimming
In the tub, play with the toys they will bring to the pool and model what to do with them.
Model a doll swimming in the tub water and show how the doll kicks their feet, moves their arms, and wears a bathing suit.
Talk to your child about what will be happening and when-
Tell your child when you will be going to the pool. Depending on your child’s age and level of need, you could put “going to the pool” on a calendar and create a count-down. This helps your child visually see what is coming and know when it will be happening.
Talk to your child about the rules of the pool, and what is expected. For example, “Always have an adult with you when you go in the water,” and “You must walk around the pool. The ground is slippery.”
Show them their swimsuit ahead of time so that they can see it, feel it, and even put it on if they want. If the public pool locker room is the first time your child has seen their swimsuit, they may be overwhelmed with so many new things that you might not be able to get it on them. Think about maybe putting on their bathing suit at home and letting them wear it in the car - one less struggle once you get to the pool!
Give your child some control-
This might mean letting your child choose which swimsuit they want to wear, having them pick which pool toy to bring, or letting them pick out a special pool towel with their favorite TV character on it. Giving a child control in an unfamiliar situation can help them feel like they are part of the team. Going to the pool isn’t happening to them, it is happening with them.
Prepare your supplies-
Consider a wet-suit instead of a bathing suit for non-heated/indoor pools. This will keep your child warmer and more comfortable longer.
Some families use life-vests for their children until they know how to swim. While this can be helpful, some pools do not allow them, and critics warn that this can create a false sense of security as parents might not watch their children as closely because they think their child is safe. Use your best judgement, but do always stay next to your child near water!
I suggest that you use pool toys that can be activated by a child, will not splash them unexpectedly, and that do not have holes for water to get in (and inevitably grow mold).
Going To The Pool:
Make it fun!-
Some children benefit from being shown what types of things to do in the pool. This is where bringing pool toys from home can be helpful to show kids why the pool is so much fun - you can scoop and pour water, squirt water from a toy, make a wind-up toy swim, or kick the water!
End with SUCCESS, don’t wait until meltdown-
Playing in the water can be fun but tiring! Try to end the swim experience with a smile on your child’s face, as opposed to a tired, cranky, hungry kiddo who becomes a limp noodle when you try to take them out of the pool and has a tantrum the whole way to the car.
Read your child’s cues for when would be a good time to go, and either set a timer or set a boundary for when it will be time to leave. “We will get out in 5 minutes. Do you want to push the button on the timer?” or “We can fill and empty the bucket 5 more times, then it will be time to go.”
Please refer to the BEHAVIOR DECODER section below if you have already had a negative experience at the hair salon and are looking for even more strategies, and the recommended BOOKS, TOYS and SUPPORTS, and VIDEOS sections below for vetted products and videos. Additionally, please use the RESOURCES section for additional information about safety tips and research articles related to the benefits of swimming for children, particularly children with special needs.
Recommended Books
Books for Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
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Books for Young Children (Ages 3-5)
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Books for Older Children (Ages 5+)
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Recommended Toys and Supports
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Watch & Be Empowered!
Videos about learning to swim and pool safety
For kids and parents/guardians: This video teaches families how to play games to get children comfortable in the pool.
For parents/guardians: This video teaches families how to play games to get children comfortable in the pool.
For kids and parents/guardians: The company AquaMobile has a number of videos related to learning how to safely use the pool. This is the first video of the series.
For parents/guardians: This is a success story of one child with autism who learned to love the pool.
For parents/guardians: This video teaches families how to play games to get children comfortable in the pool.
Videos about the fun of swimming
For Kids: Bert and Ernie act out what it looks like to go swimming, and label vocabulary associated with swimming.
For Kids: This is a song about the fun of swimming in the pool.
For Kids: In this episode of Peppa Pig, George learns how to swim. Keep in mind some of the vocabulary will be different, as Peppa uses British English (for example: “swimming costume” instead of “bathing suit”).
For Kids: This song is a classic! Pretend to swim like a goldfish!
For Kids: In this episode of Bluey, Bluey and Bingo learn the importance of being prepared for the pool.
Behavior Decoder:
Many of us have wonderful memories of swimming at the town pool and camp growing up. However, for some children, there are many factors that may make swimming an uncomfortable and scary experience. Below I will break down the process for trying to decipher what your child’s “behavior” is trying to tell you. It can be challenging, but don’t give up! Let’s dive into behavior:
Write down the behaviors you are seeing, and try to look for patterns.
Does your child typically like playing with water? Picture bath time, washing hands, and playing in a water table or with a hose outside. If your child typically likes water but doesn’t seem to want to go in the pool, then look for other factors that could be impacting why they don’t want to go in (too loud at the pool? unexpected splashes? different smells?). If they typically do not like getting their hair/face wet in the bath, then that can be something to work up to first. You can have your child pour water on your face first so that they see that it can be OK, or pour water on a doll in the tub. Surprise splashes can be alarming, so try to avoid splashing them, especially in the face so that they aren’t startled. An Occupational Therapist who specializes in Sensory Processing would be a great resource to help your child learn how to better process these types of senses.
Do they try to hit or run away from the instructor? Try going into the pool with your child so that you will be the person who is holding them/moving their body in the water. Maybe your child is uncomfortable with a new person that they do not know and they are already overwhelmed with new sensations, new smells, new places, and a new person is just one too many unknown things.
Create a visual schedule for going to the pool to create order and predictability.
There are many great resources that have pictures of the things to do at the pool, (for example: teacherspayteachers.com) and can break down what to expect during a swim lesson. But, because everything that goes to the pool needs to be waterproof, make sure you either laminate them or put them in paper protectors. Bonus points for if you Velcro the supports as well!
Look at the activity of going to the pool, and figure out where the stressors could be. Then, try to eliminate them by either modifying the activity, or preparing for the possible stressor.
Is putting on sunblock an issue? Dress your child in long sleeve rash guard swim shirts to reduce how much sunblock you need to put on them, and put it on at home so that even if they were upset while you applied it, they will hopefully have calmed down in the car ride to the pool.
Is the locker room stinky, loud, or just overwhelming? Consider changing your child in the car instead, or bringing a pop-up changing tent to set up next to your car for privacy.
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