Adapted PE
Category: Adapted Aquatics Programming

I am working with educational assistants that support students on the autism spectrum in aquatics. Can you make any suggestions? There is one each for 2 students. The student range in age from 7-12 years old.

There is an excellent new video published by Sprint Aquatics and done by Dr. Monica Lepore. It costs about $29 and is the best teaching video on adapted aquatics that I have seen. It gives detailed demonstrations on how to teach children with various disabilities and the segment on autism is super.

Go to www.sprintaquatics.com to order "Introduction to Adapted Aquatics" by Monica Lepore. It is endorsed/sponsored by AAPAR and I think they sell it too through AAPAR/AAHPERD.

From personal experience "just get in the water with the kids; one on one is best with students with autism. It has to be someone the child trusts...toys help. Sometimes the child imitates what his favorite toy is doing so if puff the magic dragon is blowing bubbles or diving down under from the surface, so will the child.

The water has a comfortable, calming, hugging effect; the color is enticing. Students with autism often prefer swimming UNDER the water; they learn aquatics skills FAST. When they get out in the water their communication skills and balance is better! New research is pointing to speech areas and cerebellar (balance) areas to be not just close in the brain, but perhaps communicating with each other...thus more motor skills from the water means better balance and communication on land. It is really worth having an aquatic program.

References

Last modified date: 9/13/2010

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