Published on 12, July, 2020
My 9 year old son is stressing hugely about going swimming with his school class this month.
He did it last year for two weeks - with lessons every afternoon - but found it very overwhelming and the thought of doing it again is leading to daily meltdowns.
He is worried about his head going under - it happened last time briefly once - and struggles to get himself changed and re-dressed in time as he has dyspraxia as well as autism.
The smell of chlorine and the noise of the other children in the pool also cause him a lot of anxiety.
We have tried to reassure him things will be ok and also emphasised how important it is to learn to swim but fear that forcing him to do this may prove counter-productive.
He already finds school extremely stressful and seems burnt out by this. Are we pushing too hard or would allowing him to miss lessons with a view to me teaching him over time be a mistake in the long run?
Hi, I can relate with how your son is feeling. I found swimming lessons very stressful, walking on a cold wet floor is where the stress would start. The thought of putting my head under water was another trigger, it’s interesting you mention dyspraxia, trying to swim involved coordination of all four limbs, it was really hard to manage it. The noise, heat and smell was also stressful. I started going swimming in the evenings as it was a lot quieter and not so regimented, early mornings are even more quieter. Personally I wouldn’t push your son, especially if he is struggling to cope in school, maybe take him on a one to one basis. My local leisure centre does SEN swimming lessons for autistic children, it could be a better way for him to learn or just become confident in the water.