Au Some Swimmer-Knowledge Check

An occupational therapist recognized the need for children on the spectrum to learn the life skill of swimming. Not knowing how to swim can pose multiple risks to children and even adults later in life and is a valuable skill to learn.  A group of occupational therapy students worked on enhanced communication between the lifeguards giving the swim lesson and the child, mitigating turnover within the group of lifeguards, and a general increase in autism knowledge. The students focused on how to work with the children specifically. Lifeguards had a hard time expressing what they needed the children to do in the water, and keeping the children focused. Finding the likes and dislikes of each child was also important in finding what each child would respond well to. The occupational therapy students taught the lifeguards ways to teach the lessons that could help the children better respond and increase their likeliness to learn. 

This podcast was special to me because I have had hands on experience to this before. I swam all my life and worked as a lifeguard for 8 years. This gave me the opportunity to teach swim lessons for many years. This past summer I had to opportunity to teach to a child who had special needs. Not only did I feel as though I had a hard time finding things he would enjoy doing in the water, but it was also hard to keep his focus. This podcast gave great insight into alternate techniques that could be helpful in the future.