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Post by Kristin on Jun 24, 2004 0:35:12 GMT -5
Clarice is 5 1/2 and we're still trying to get her to swim well enough for me not to worry about her constantly while in a pool. She has trouble with coordination and stamina (no surprise there). I was wondering how many of you have children with DS who swim well and what it took to get them to swim well. We have a pool and I've enrolled her in swim lessons twice. Today as soon as the other kids started jumping in and swimming, she said she was afraid of the water and refused to stay in the lesson. We're afraid she'll get too far behind to stay in her swim class. It is a small group of about 6 kids who have no known disabilities. Are we perhaps expecting too much of her. Clarice has no heart problems, just the usual hypotonia and respiratory problems in the winter. I was just curious what the rest of you have experienced. Kristin
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Post by Emilysmom on Jun 24, 2004 1:03:28 GMT -5
Kristin,
I am thrilled to say that Emily is a fantastic swimmer!!! It's a good thing too, cause our whole family loves to swim!
For Emily, what probably worked best of all is that our county provides swim classes for all kids who are in special education on a weekly basis. Emily has been in that swim class since Kindergarten! The best part for her is that she is technically receiving special ed, so she is included in this class. However, she does not attend a school in our county that has a special ed classroom.......so every year, we have simply taken her to the pool at the time the aquatics instructor gave us, and she gets one on one swim lessons every Friday! She now swims the length of the olympic sized pool twice and then rests. It has really helped her endurance, and she continues to improve.
Emily first began to really swim at around 5-6 years old and always did it totally underwater. I would worry so much because she had her mouth WIDE open at the time! She would swallow HUGE amounts of water!! A year or so later, she began learning how to swim on top of the water with better and better strokes.
I recommend just keeping on offering the lessons. Is aquatic therapy something that is offered by PT in your school system? That has helped Emily SO much!!!
Susan
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Post by Haleysmom on Jun 24, 2004 8:06:43 GMT -5
Well, Haley 8 told us she wants surfing lessons! Course she doesn't know how to swim so we have put that on hold till next summer, but it did push me to get her swim lessons. She is now taking one on one swimming. It is somewhat expensive since we are not members of the health club ($30.00 per lesson). But it being one on one has been tremendous for her. We were doing lessons weekly, but I've backed off for the summer and she is going every other week. She also is now able to join Special Olympics and I have signed her up for swim (can you say FREE lessons)! ;D Perhaps one on one will be less stressful and more enjoyable for Clarice too.
Sue
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Post by PamelaF on Jun 24, 2004 8:55:06 GMT -5
Jonathan is now 14, and has swam independantly since the age of 2! So we bought a house by a river 4 years ago, and he is the biggeste fish in the river! ;D He belongs in water! The water and him become one! it is such fun to see him swim so well! We began at 6 months old with lessons.  Cheers! Pamela  |
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Post by updowns on Jun 24, 2004 18:41:41 GMT -5
One on one swim lessons sounds great and could be just what Clarice needs. Sounds as tho she is not confident in the water - maybe the others kids splashing about upsets her?
Sarah swims and loves it and recently won silver for the backstroke. I think Sarah prefers the backstroke as she doesn't like putting her face in the water - she is swimming independently only for the last 3 years or so (she is 12) - she refused to put her face in the water, that's what held her back. Even now, at 12, she hates to have a shower and freaks if I get water on her face while washing her hair. She has had lessons at school since she was Clarice's age - twice a week and for the past year, 3 times a week as she got into the school's Swimming Club.
Don't lose hope, Clarice will get there.
Stella
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Post by Shelley on Jun 24, 2004 19:19:47 GMT -5
Kristin, Courtney is 12 and loves the water. She swims under water and has not started to swim on top yet. I signed her up for swim lessons a few years back but it did not work out. It was not one on one and the instructor did not know what to do with her. At that time she was very afraid of the water. My friend has an in ground pool and so we would go there and kept introducing her to the water and now we can not keep her out of water when we are near it. She loves it and she swims fairly well, still needs improving though. She will get there though. Shelley |
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Post by christie on Jun 24, 2004 21:10:15 GMT -5
Chris is 11 and for the last year or so will only swim under water. He does fairly well under water but getting him to swim above water has just not happened yet  But I know my guy and one day he just will, just like everything else, in his OWN time
I tell you he always made me very nervous how long he will stay under water without coming up 
He truly LOVES the water but is fearless and untill he learns to swim better I worry... Lessons are definately in order for my guy.
WOW STELLA girl the Backstroke, I am impressed girl
CC
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Post by MaggiesMom on Jun 24, 2004 23:13:20 GMT -5
I was about to write and brag on Maggie's accomplishment today...She jumped off the diving board by herself and swam over to the side...over and over and over again!
She wears her floaties, so don't think she's Aqua Woman or anything. We just started a couple weeks ago trying to get her to jump off the steps to me. Keeping her head above water etc. Well needless to say, she thinks she's ready for the summer olympic diving team now! LOL
It was hilarious to watch. She'd come up giggling every time and squeal with delight.
She does all her swimming with her feet though. She hasn't figured out how to use her arms and doesn't want Momma to do arm over arm to help!
Do you all think she's ready to swimming lessons now? I worry that #1 she won't be able to hear the instructor wiithout hearing aids in the water! And #2 she's stubborn and doesn't follow directions very well.
I like the idea of one on one lessons. I know the high school swim team coach, maybe I'll call her tomorrow.
Take care. Hope everyone has a great summer.
Robin M - Maggie's mom
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Post by TriciaF on Jun 24, 2004 23:21:38 GMT -5
Kristin,
I can't help as Patrick has just turned 4 and has no experience yet. But, you read my mind, I was wondering about this just this week and intending to ask....so thanks....I am reading the replys with interest. Susan, since you said Emily gets weekly pt swim therapy through the school, is that at an indoor pool? If so, I am envious, none of our schools around here have pools....and I don't know if there is even one in door pool in the whole town.
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Post by shellk on Jun 25, 2004 7:20:42 GMT -5
Kristin, Kourtney has been in the water since seems like forever...Whether it is the beach or a pool..She still has pretty low tone in her upper body and tends to lock her joints instead of using her muscles..Well, when she is in the water she uses her muscles and uses floaties also but really does a great job. She loves jumping in and sticking her head underwater. Living in Florida we figured we better get her used to it. Her grandparents like boating and so we started her young, ans PT said that is was a great thing to do to help her with her tone. Michele Clairce will be a pro before you know it..Kourtney really doesn't like people like splashing her in the face and she does get a little nervous if it is really hectic in the pool..But, she gets nervous when it is really hectic anywhere.Good luck |
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Post by Debbie on Jun 25, 2004 17:39:32 GMT -5
Hello! I understand about the swimming lesson's. I was shy and didn't like the splashing much either. I also didn't like all the kid's swimming around me. One time, the pool in the area where I was in, was crowded and I didn't have any room to swim and I don't like to be splashed so I stepped out of the pool and got something to drink. I was afraid of the water myself. I didn't like the swimming teacher either. She would line all of us at the side of the pool and told us to jump in one at a time. She'd catch us she said. I remember that I would stand there, freezing and trying to get up the courage to jump in the water. She was not very patient. I really needed one on one teaching but, this was how our swimming lesson's were at the time. I swam in the shallow end of the water for a long time until I realized I could swim. It was fear that kept me from jumping in the deep end. I swam under the rope and never looked back! I jumped off the diving pool too and did a second time! I was in junior high then. My sister was so proud of me! She bragged about me to Mom and Dad. It was a great feeling! ;D I didn't like to put my face in the water either, but, I loved swimming under water. You tell me if that makes sense! I prefered swimming under water than swimming on top, but when left to my own, I did swim on top of the water. I just didn't like swimming with other kid's and people. They splashed all the time! To those of you that may be new, I am Debbie and I have Mosaic Down syndrome. I am forty three. |
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Post by PaigesMom on Jun 25, 2004 18:50:55 GMT -5
It is funny you bring this up because I was just thinking about swimming/water play for Paige. She loves the bathtub, or a little wading pool (will only put her feet in), but is scared of bigger pools and the beach!!!
I am hoping that with time it gets better, I would LOVE to teach her to swim.
Debbie
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Post by Kristin on Jun 27, 2004 23:25:31 GMT -5
Well, just as I'd given up hope, she decided to participate! By Friday she was jumping off of the diving board. She's not as good a swimmer as the rest, but her confidence is there and she is progressing. I worked with her in our pool in the afternoons and I think that helped, too. I also bribed her with a cookie if she'd just try for the entire swim lesson. It seems that was the incentive she needed. Thank you everyone for your replies. I haven't found anything Clarice truly could not do given her own time frame. It always seems that as soon as I throw up my hands, she comes through! Kristin
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Susan, Proud mom of Michael (32), Justin (25) Emily (22ds), and Jordan (20).
But I know my guy and one day he just will, just like everything else, in his OWN time 
