15/07/2024
Tommy’s story:
Tommy is a super sweet and cuddly 7 year old. He also happens to be Autistic with very limited verbal communication, mostly repeating. When I met Tommy his mum said she was about to give up on swimming for him. He had a bad experience and was now petrified of even touching the water. She was terrified he would drown one day. 😢
I’m not going to lie… Tommy was one of the most challenging kids I ever worked with in the water. For the first month of lessons he walked around the pool with his hands over his ears trying to take his shorts off and wouldn’t touch the water, with me and mum chasing after him. 🏃♀️ 🏃♀️
I had gotten to the point where I felt like I was stealing the money off this poor mum. 🤦♀️ But she had faith in me. 💪 And I had one more trick up my sleeve. I carried him calmly in a cuddle in the water. Zero expectations. Just building a bond. 🧘 (I am aware this technique is not for everyone!) Mum and I talked in lengths about this and she agreed she’d like me to try. I warned all the lifeguards and pool staff there would be a lot of crying and screaming, but I assure you he is in loving hands. The pool staff helped arrange it so I could have a different lane then I’m meant to for ease of access.
We got A LOT of stares. This happened for a few weeks. I would sing calmly and say reassuring things like “you’re okay”, “let’s have a cuddle”, “Ali’s here”, “Tommy’s okay”. And then one day he repeated “Tommy’s okay”. 😮 And then kept repeating it!!! ‼️ And the crying gradually got less and less each week. And we eventually made our way into “our” lane. And he eventually started smiling! ☺️ And then started repeating my songs! 🎵 Every time I pushed him to try something new, the woggle, splashing in, reaching for the wall, I would get the same intense response. And then a gradual shift to him accepting it and then enjoying it.
Picture 1 is a little boy walking round the pool with his hands over his ears… Picture 2 is the face of a little boy who is so proud of himself for swimming completely independently for the very first time on his own! And the bursting pride of his swim teacher too of course. 🥹
What is not pictured is mom’s tears of joy, all the regular pool patrons who continuously remark on the miracle 💥 they’ve witnessed in 16 months and the long life of safety around water Tommy and his whole family will now benefit from. 🏖️
As I said, I’m not gonna lie, Tommy was one of my hardest nuts to crack. I’ve never been so close to giving up. But this sweet boy 👦🏼 who gives me the best morning cuddles to start my day, and his mum, believed in my SEN swim teacher super powers when my own faith was faltering.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… if I teach a “typical” kid to swim I feel great. 👍🏻 When I teach a child with special needs to swim… I feel like I could move a bus! 🦸♀️ Thank you Tommy for reminding me to never give up on myself and that miracles 🤩 can happen when compassion and kindness are at the forefront of my teaching. ♥️
Please don’t give up on your SEN child’s swimming journey. Let me see if my super powers 🦸♀️ extend to your child. 🙏
