Making a Splash for All: Sensory-Friendly Swimming Lessons

Creating an Inclusive Splash: How Sensory-Friendly Lessons Make Swimming Accessible

Did you know that drowning is a major preventable cause of death for children? While swimming lessons are crucial for improved water safety, traditional classes can be overwhelming for some kids. Enter sensory-friendly swimming lessons! In particular, these specialized programs cater to children with sensory sensitivities, autism, or other neurological differences, making water safety accessible and enjoyable for all. But, remember, learning to swim is only one part of drowning prevention and safety!

Many children find regular swimming lessons overwhelming due to the sensory overload. For example, pool environments are loud, with splashes, echoes, and pool chemicals creating a sensory-rich experiencew. For children with sensory sensitivities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this can lead to anxiety and meltdowns. In fact swimming lessons and pool environments can be overwhelming for anyone of any age who experiences sensory sensitivity or overload.

However, sensory-friendly swimming lessons and sensory-friendly pool hours address these challenges. This blog post will explore how these programs create a more inclusive environment, helping all children develop water safety skills and a love for swimming.

Beyond Water Safety: Sensory Benefits of Swimming Lessons

While water safety is the primary focus, sensory-friendly swimming lessons offer a wealth of additional benefits for children with sensory processing needs. Here’s how:

Movement in a Gentle Environment: Water provides a natural resistance that strengthens muscles and improves coordination, all in a low-impact, supportive environment. This is especially helpful for children who may struggle with balance or coordination on land.

Sensory Integration and Stress Reduction: The calming and rhythmic movements of swimming can help regulate sensory processing. The water itself provides proprioceptive input (body awareness), while breath control encourages mindfulness. This repetitive nature, combined with the supportive environment of water, can be very calming, reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.

Social Interaction on Their Terms: Sensory-friendly programs often have smaller class sizes and trained instructors who understand sensory needs. This allows children to participate in a social environment at their own comfort level. Parallel play, where children play alongside each other without directly interacting, is encouraged. This fosters a sense of community and social interaction without overwhelming sensory experiences.

Sensory Exploration Made Accessible: Swimming offers a rich sensory experience, engaging a child’s sight, sound, touch, smell (not recommended!), balance, movement, and internal body awareness (interoception). Sensory-friendly programs create a calmer environment where children can explore their senses comfortably.

What are Sensory-Friendly Swim Hours?

Many pools are recognizing the challenges that a typical pool environment can pose for people with sensory sensitivities. In response, they’re offering sensory-friendly swim times – designated periods where adjustments are made to create a more calming and inclusive experience.

Why are Sensory-Friendly Swim Hours Important?

Sensory sensitivities can be triggered by various aspects of a traditional pool setting. These include:

• Temperature changes: Entering cool water can be startling, especially for children.
• Noise: Public pools can be quite loud with echoes, splashing, and sounds from pool equipment and lifeguards.
• Lighting: Bright fluorescent lights commonly found in indoor pools can be harsh for some individuals.
• Surfaces: Concrete pool decks can be hard and unforgiving, while the water itself feels different than air.

These factors can combine to create sensory overload, making a fun activity like swimming overwhelming and stressful.

Benefits of Sensory-Friendly Swim Hours:

Sensory-friendly swim hours address these challenges by making adjustments such as:

• Reduced lighting: Lowering pool lights creates a calmer atmosphere.
• Limited capacity: Fewer swimmers means less noise and crowding.
• No whistles or announcements: Lifeguards can use alternative methods for communication.
• Calming music or quiet time: Providing a relaxing soundtrack or designated quiet periods.
• Fidget toys or other sensory tools: Some programs may offer these for those who find them helpful.

The Rise of Sensory-Friendly Swimming:

The popularity of sensory-friendly swim times is growing. Community pools, water parks, theme parks, and even beaches are embracing this inclusive approach. These programs allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of swimming in a safe and comfortable environment.

By understanding the challenges and offering sensory-friendly options, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to make a splash!

Sensory-friendly swim times transform the pool environment to create a calmer and more inclusive experience. Here’s how:

• Reduced Noise: Background music and announcements are silenced, noisy equipment is stopped, and staff are encouraged to use whistles only for emergencies. “Out of order” signs on hair dryers eliminate another potential source of noise.
• Quieter Spaces: A designated quiet room offers a haven from pool sounds, while limiting the number of patrons reduces overall noise and crowding.
• Supportive Staff: Extra staff is available to provide assistance, and caregiver passes ensure families have the support they need.
• Managed Stimulation: Wave machines and noisy toys are turned off, creating a calmer water experience.
• Clear Communication: Websites and social media platforms clearly explain what to expect during sensory-friendly hours, allowing families to plan their visit with confidence.

Creating Sensory-Friendly Swim Lessons

Sensory-friendly swim lessons go beyond just adjusting the pool environment. Here, Jen Maitland, an occupational therapy student at Queen’s University and experienced swim instructor, shares her insights on adapting lessons for children with sensory sensitivities:

Tips from an Occupational Therapy Student and Swim Instructor

Patience is Key: Building trust is crucial. Lessons may start with simply getting comfortable poolside, exploring the water outside the pool, or dipping toes in shallow water. Celebrate these small victories!

Strategic Location: Seek out quieter areas of the pool or choose less busy times to minimize distractions from noise, splashes, and other swimmers. Jen emphasizes the importance of minimizing disruptions like lifeguard whistles.

Embrace Sensory-Friendly Hours: Many pools offer designated sensory hours with reduced noise levels and calmer atmospheres. These hours provide a perfect opportunity for children to practice their skills in a more comfortable setting.

Sensory-Friendly Toys: Pool noodles and flutterboards offer a sense of security and can help ease children into independent swimming.

The Power of Recognition: Sensory Friendly Solutions recognizes products like Frogglez goggles (comfortable, easy to adjust) and Hammer Head swim caps (gentle on hair, protective) that can enhance the swimming experience for children with sensory needs.

Graded Approach for Success: Breaking down skills into smaller steps is essential. Jen describes using a watering can, bucket, and gradual head submersion techniques over two months to help a student feel comfortable underwater. This approach builds trust and allows the child to progress at their own pace. Remember, success is measured by progress, not speed!

Focus on Enjoyment: Jen emphasizes that sensory-friendly lessons prioritize enjoyment. By incorporating these strategies, you can create a safe and supportive environment where children with sensory sensitivities can develop a love of swimming.

Jen shared the influence of the sensory-rich pool environment on the teaching process.

“Any time a lifeguard had to whistle for something (happened usually at least once a session), they tensed up and looked where the sound came from. A lot of swimming technique comes from relaxing your body so this made it tough.”

– Jen Maitland, Occupational Therapy Student and Swim Instructor

Creating Sensory-Friendly Swim Lessons: Tips from an OT Student (continued)

Beyond Pool Noodles and Flutterboards: While pool noodles and flutterboards are great for building confidence, Jen offers additional tips for incorporating sensory-friendly toys:

• Visual Stimulation: For some children, brightly colored toys or those with interesting textures can be engaging. However, be mindful of overwhelming a child with too much stimulation.
• Fidget Tools: Some children benefit from having fidget toys available during breaks or while waiting for instruction. These can help them regulate their energy and focus.

Sensory Friendly Solutions Recognized Products: As Jen mentioned, products designed for sensory needs can make a big difference. At Sensory Friendly Solutions, we have a product recognition program that identifies products that reduce sensory sensitivity or sensory overload. Frogglez Swim Goggles (comfortable, adjustable) and swim caps like Hammer Head (gentle, protective) are both recognized under our program as being sensory-friendly.

The Power of the Graded Approach: Breaking down skills into tiny, achievable steps is fundamental in sensory-friendly lessons. Jen shares her experience using a graded approach to help a student overcome their fear of submerging their head:

“At the beginning, they didn’t even get their hair wet,” explains Jen Maitland, Occupational Therapist Student and Swim Instructor. “I’d start by letting water drip off my hand onto their head. Then we used a watering can to slowly drip more water, followed by a bucket. We gradually progressed to getting one ear in the water, then both, and eventually their whole head underwater.”

– Jen Maitland, OT Student, Swim Instructor

Jen emphasizes that this process took two months. However, the graded approach allowed her student to feel safe and build trust. This trust was key in encouraging the child to follow her guidance as the difficulty slowly increased.

Celebrating Milestones, Big and Small: In sensory-friendly lessons, success is measured by progress, not speed. Jen highlights this beautifully:

“By one year of working with this swimmer, she was able to work up to holding herself in the water independently with no assistive devices. Success is more important than speed in sensory-friendly swimming lessons!” –

Jen Maitland, OT Student, Swim Instructor

Empowering Instructors: Invest in Sensory-Friendly Training

Remember: Every child is unique, and their sensory needs will vary. Experiment with different toys and tools to see what works best for your students. Focus on learning ow to create a positive and supportive environment where children can feel comfortable exploring the water at their own pace.

Ready to make your swimming lessons and pool more inclusive? Enroll in our Sensory Friendly Swimming course today and learn how to create a comfortable and supportive environment for swimmers with sensory sensitivities. Start transforming your pool into a welcoming space for everyone—dive in now!

Understanding sensory processing can equip anyone to create more inclusive environments. Join our training membership and get access to all the courses you need to create a sensory-friendly environment in any location. Catch this short video from our founder to learn a bit about training membership:

Sensory-Friendly Swim Gear: Making a Splash More Comfortable

Many products can make swimming more enjoyable for people with sensory sensitivities. Here’s a breakdown of some helpful options:

Ears:

• Ear plugs or ear bands: These can block water and reduce noise, but ensure they fit properly to avoid safety risks.
• Swimming headbands with earplugs: These offer a comforting compression effect and noise reduction. However, be cautious if they impair hearing.

Head:

• Swim caps: Choose from various materials, with some designed for long hair. Look for caps with a gentle compression effect, like Hammer Head Swim Caps, a Sensory Friendly Solutions Recognized Product, which are also protective.

Body:

• Swim-friendly life jackets: These allow for more movement while prioritizing safety. Remember, adult supervision is still crucial.
• Full-body suits or rash guards: Compression from these suits can be calming, and they help regulate body temperature. Wetsuits offer even more compression.
• Brightly colored swimwear: Prioritize high visibility to ensure safety in the water.

Eyes:

• Swim goggles: Wider bands provide better comfort. For sensory-friendly goggles, get Frogglez Swim Googles, another Sensory Friendly Solutions Recognized Product. Some children may prefer swim masks. Note that the sensory-friendly straps from Frogglez Swim Goggles can be used with may different googgle types.

Nose:

• Nose clips: These prevent water from entering the nose and often come paired with earplugs. For some children, masks are preferred here as well.

Hands:

• Floatation boards: These offer support, resistance during movement, and something to hold onto. Heavy muscle work can be calming for the nervous system.
• Hand-held paddles: These increase resistance while swimming, providing a calming effect.

Feet:

• Flippers: These are fun and provide resistance training, promoting a sense of calm.

Remember:

• Experiment to see what works best for each individual.
• Safety is paramount. Adult supervision is essential, and life jackets should always be used when necessary.
• Focus on making the swimming experience positive and enjoyable.

Autism and Swimming: Finding Joy and Safety in the Pool

Learning to swim is an important life skill, and it can be especially crucial for autistic individuals. Sadly, autistic children are at an increased risk of drowning. Swim lessons in a supportive environment can not only teach water safety but also provide a fun and therapeutic activity.

Here are some benefits of swimming for autistic individuals:

• Improved motor skills: Swimming is a great way to develop core strength, coordination, and balance.
• Sensory processing: The water can provide a calming and proprioceptive sensory experience.
• Social interaction: Swim lessons or group swims can be a chance for autistic individuals to socialize with others in a safe and structured setting.
• Confidence and self-esteem: Mastering new skills can boost confidence and self-esteem for autistic swimmers.

An Autism Friendly Swim: A Perfect Dive for Sensory Needs

Swimming is a fantastic activity for everyone, and that includes autistic individuals. However, the typical pool environment is often overwhelming for some autistic swimmers. Loud noises, bright lights, and large crowds can create sensory overload and make a fun outing or lessons stressful.

This is where autism-friendly swim programs come in. While similar, autism-friendly swims often cater specifically to autistic individuals, while sensory-friendly swims are broader and welcome anyone with sensory sensitivities. Autism friendly swim programs offer a more relaxed and controlled environment, making the pool a more enjoyable and accessible place for autistic swimmers. Here’s what you can expect at an autism-friendly swim:

• Reduced sensory input: Quieter pool hours with lower lighting and limited capacity help to create a calmer atmosphere.
• Predictability: Consistent routines and visuals can help autistic swimmers feel more comfortable and in control.
• Patient and understanding staff: Lifeguards and instructors are trained to understand the unique needs of autistic swimmers and provide support in a positive and encouraging way.

Enhancing the Sensory Swim Experience: More About Pools, Toys & Gear

Looking to create a more inclusive environment? Here’s a breakdown of common questions regarding sensory-friendly pool features, toys, and swimwear.

What is a Sensory Swimming Pool?

While many pools can be overwhelming for those with sensory sensitivities, some facilities offer additonal features to create a calmer experience. These might include:

• Dimmable or color-changing lights: Adjustable lighting allows for a more subdued environment.
• Water features: Gentle waterfalls or bubblers can provide soothing sounds and textures.
• Designated quiet areas: Separate spaces offer a break from the general pool activity.

Sensory Pool Toys

Toys can be a great way to engage and entertain swimmers of all abilities. Here are some ideas for sensory-friendly pool toys:

• Textured toys: Toys with different textures provide tactile stimulation.
• Floating toys: Large, brightly colored floats offer visual interest and support.
• Light-up toys: Water toys with flashing lights can be visually stimulating.
• Calming toys: Squeeze toys or fidget spinners can help manage anxiety.

Remember: Choose toys that are safe and appropriate for the swimmer’s age and abilities.

Swimming Pants for Special Needs

Swim diapers or leakproof swimming suits are essential for those who may not be fully potty-trained. Look for features like:

• Snug fit: A snug but comfortable fit helps prevent leaks.
• Reusable options: Reusable swim diapers are more eco-friendly and cost-effective in the long run.
• Easy on and off: Designs that are easy for swimmers or caregivers to manage are ideal.

We also note, we have used “swimming pants for special needs” because folks often search for that exact term. However, while “special needs” was once common, it can feel impersonal. Consider using more inclusive terms like “sensory sensitivities” or “developmental differences” to create a welcoming vocabulary instead.

In conclusion, thank you to Jen Maitland, occupational therapy student and swimming instructor for her wonderful contributions to this blog post.

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