ASD children

ASD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

ASD is a neurological disorder that causes developmental impairment. According to the DSM, the American diagnostic manual, ASD is diagnosed when functional impairment can be observed in two axes: difficulty in interpersonal communication, and repetitive patterns.

Difficulty with interpersonal communication can manifest as difficulty in understanding social relationships, nonverbal cues, and emotional reciprocity. Repetitive patterns can manifest as difficulty with change, motor or verbal repetitiveness, rigid adherence to repetitive patterns, or narrow interests.

The issue of sensory dysregulation, i.e. sensory hypersensitivity or reduced sensitivity, or sensory seeking, does not appear explicitly in the diagnostic definition in the DSM, but characterizes most of the people with ASD.

So why go to a pool? What's the point of using a pool to help people with autism?

There are several reasons to bring a child or teenager with autism to a therapeutic pool.

The first reason is the love of water. Children in general, and autistic children in particular, are drawn to water. This attraction is also expressed in dry-land therapies, and is an expression of the internal motivation of ASD children to connect with their environment. I would like to make a reservation here, and say that a child who hates water should not be forced to go to the pool. I know how to deal successfully with children who are afraid of water - fear of water is not a limitation, but you should not go against the internal tendencies of ASD children by force, because it is not in anyone's best interest.

The second reason is sensory support. Water is an auditory-dimming environment, and there is nothing like having 'ears in the water' to be able to experience peace and relaxation. The sides and bottom of the pool form a container with clear and distinct boundaries that can be touched and explored. The water provides equal pressure on the body from all directions, allowing for an experience of physical support and a clear body schema. The feeling of warm water provides muscle relaxation. The setting is fixed, same day, same hour, same the look of the pool and its smell, same therapist. In other words, the water helps reduce and balance the sensory sensitivuty that exists in almost all children with ASD.

The third reason is normalization. For children with ASD, their families, and their environment, swimming, being in the water, and playing in the water are normative and enjoyable activities, and allow for participation in the community. Water stimulates playfulness, spontaneity, and creativity; it is an opportunity for fun and rewarding physical activity done in a community setting.

The fourth reason is the human reason. In the water, ASD children are necessarily in contact with the environment and with others. The work in the water is carried out in a one-on-one setting, while listening and adjusting to the child's needs and thier pace. There is an opportunity here to create a human connection with a significant adult, under favorable conditions, with the water assisting in the experience of physical and emotional holding.

In conclusion, water is not a magic solution, but it is a means that allows the child to reach the things he needs, under easier conditions than those that exist on land: when we have achieved that, then it is possible to advance the goals that the child and the parents have defined: communicative, cognitive, physical, and emotional goals.

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