SOUTHBOROUGH —
In one corner of the pool, a boy named Robert carefully places a pair of flippers on his feet and eases into the water.
He treads water for a few seconds, dives under the surface and kicks up a plume. His head emerges, and he smiles and begins swimming for the opposite wall.
For the students at the New England Center for Children (NECC), swimming has become engrained in their weekly school routines. Just as the students differ in where they fall on the spectrum of autism disorders, they also range in skill and comfort level in the water.
But for most, the pool is a place where they can thrive.
It has been a year since the Michael S. Dukakis Aquatic Center opened at NECC. In that time, most students have made progress in the pool. While some were once too scared even touch the water's surface, they now get their feet wet. For others, progress has come in the form of building endurance and stroke development.
"It's a part of the culture now," said Aquatics Director Kristen Sidman. "For all the kids, they're learning functional life skills no matter where they are on the spectrum."
In the last year, NECC reports that in physical and adaptive education, including pool and gym time, 83 percent of elementary day students and 82 percent of residential students have attained at least one more physical or behavior skill than they initially had. Eighty-nine percent of preschoolers made the same progress.
"Over 80 percent (of all students) have advanced their skill level," Sidman said. "That's very significant because some autistic kids learn very slowly."
Residential students at NECC swim three to four times a week between lessons and recreation time, while day students are at the pool twice a week for lessons and can come to evening swim times Monday through Saturday with their families.
The hour-long sessions include about 30 minutes of lessons, with 15 minutes on either end for changing and showering. Lessons include warmup time, working on skills as a group and one-on-one time with aquatics staff and classroom teachers. Each session ends with a game or playtime with squirt guns or dive toys.
NECC follows the American Red Cross swimming and water safety program. Students are assessed after every lesson, and records are kept on their achievements. Each has an aquatics goal on their education plan.
Most preschool students are at level one, getting acclimated to the water. About 100 students are at level two, working on fundamentals like swimming short distances, floating on their backs or going underwater.
Others are at level three and are working on strokes, treading water and swimming longer distances. Fewer are at level four and concentrate on improving strokes and swimming laps.
The pool was designed keeping in mind that most students would be at the lower levels. The shallow end runs the length of one side of the pool, while the deep end is two lap lanes that are six feet deep.
On Thursday afternoon, a class of boys ages 14 to 18 were led in a lesson on floating on their backs and stomachs. Then they worked individually on swimming the length of the pool or jumping into the water. Before the end of class, they played a popular game called "sharks and minnows."
Not all the students have been as adaptive to the water, and instructors work to gradually ease their fears, asking them to go a little further each time - from entering the pool area with clothes, to putting on their bathing suit to finally touching the water.
"Some sit on the pool steps by themselves, and before they wouldn't do that," Sidman said. "Until they can get to the next point, they stay where they are comfortable."
For children with autism, tasks like working in a group, following instructions or being close to others aren't always easy. But the pool has become a place where many are comfortable, Sidman said.
"All these things are really challenging for kids with autism," she said. "To see a group work together is in and of itself an accomplishment."
The health benefits are also sizeable, as swimming works all muscle groups and helps build endurance. Most importantly, it's fun and isn't always viewed as exercise, said Phil Leonard, an adaptive physical education instructor.
"I think some of them realize that they're getting exercise," Leonard said. "But most of them are really enjoying it."
Instructors also use video as a learning tool to help students figure out how to coordinate their arm and leg movements. They show clips of what a stroke should look like, then clips of how the student looks doing it.
"They have a decreased perception of their bodies in space and where their limbs are," Sidman said. "This is a way to show them."
After class, all students must take a shower before getting dressed, providing another opportunity for the students to practice life skills, Sidman said.
NECC founder and CEO Vincent Strully Jr. says he takes time out of his schedule to watch the kids swim at the $6 million aquatic center. Their smiles are satisfying to see after developing a capital plan to focus on building a pool about eight years ago, he said.
"It was worth every penny and all the hard work," he said. "We wanted it for many years, and we're thrilled with it."
Source: http://www.milforddailynews.com/multimedia/x29300720/Autistic-students-making-progress-at-aquatics-center
In one corner of the pool, a boy named Robert carefully places a pair of flippers on his feet and eases into the water.
He treads water for a few seconds, dives under the surface and kicks up a plume. His head emerges, and he smiles and begins swimming for the opposite wall.
For the students at the New England Center for Children (NECC), swimming has become engrained in their weekly school routines. Just as the students differ in where they fall on the spectrum of autism disorders, they also range in skill and comfort level in the water.
But for most, the pool is a place where they can thrive.
It has been a year since the Michael S. Dukakis Aquatic Center opened at NECC. In that time, most students have made progress in the pool. While some were once too scared even touch the water's surface, they now get their feet wet. For others, progress has come in the form of building endurance and stroke development.
"It's a part of the culture now," said Aquatics Director Kristen Sidman. "For all the kids, they're learning functional life skills no matter where they are on the spectrum."
In the last year, NECC reports that in physical and adaptive education, including pool and gym time, 83 percent of elementary day students and 82 percent of residential students have attained at least one more physical or behavior skill than they initially had. Eighty-nine percent of preschoolers made the same progress.
"Over 80 percent (of all students) have advanced their skill level," Sidman said. "That's very significant because some autistic kids learn very slowly."
Residential students at NECC swim three to four times a week between lessons and recreation time, while day students are at the pool twice a week for lessons and can come to evening swim times Monday through Saturday with their families.
The hour-long sessions include about 30 minutes of lessons, with 15 minutes on either end for changing and showering. Lessons include warmup time, working on skills as a group and one-on-one time with aquatics staff and classroom teachers. Each session ends with a game or playtime with squirt guns or dive toys.
NECC follows the American Red Cross swimming and water safety program. Students are assessed after every lesson, and records are kept on their achievements. Each has an aquatics goal on their education plan.
Most preschool students are at level one, getting acclimated to the water. About 100 students are at level two, working on fundamentals like swimming short distances, floating on their backs or going underwater.
Others are at level three and are working on strokes, treading water and swimming longer distances. Fewer are at level four and concentrate on improving strokes and swimming laps.
The pool was designed keeping in mind that most students would be at the lower levels. The shallow end runs the length of one side of the pool, while the deep end is two lap lanes that are six feet deep.
On Thursday afternoon, a class of boys ages 14 to 18 were led in a lesson on floating on their backs and stomachs. Then they worked individually on swimming the length of the pool or jumping into the water. Before the end of class, they played a popular game called "sharks and minnows."
Not all the students have been as adaptive to the water, and instructors work to gradually ease their fears, asking them to go a little further each time - from entering the pool area with clothes, to putting on their bathing suit to finally touching the water.
"Some sit on the pool steps by themselves, and before they wouldn't do that," Sidman said. "Until they can get to the next point, they stay where they are comfortable."
For children with autism, tasks like working in a group, following instructions or being close to others aren't always easy. But the pool has become a place where many are comfortable, Sidman said.
"All these things are really challenging for kids with autism," she said. "To see a group work together is in and of itself an accomplishment."
The health benefits are also sizeable, as swimming works all muscle groups and helps build endurance. Most importantly, it's fun and isn't always viewed as exercise, said Phil Leonard, an adaptive physical education instructor.
"I think some of them realize that they're getting exercise," Leonard said. "But most of them are really enjoying it."
Instructors also use video as a learning tool to help students figure out how to coordinate their arm and leg movements. They show clips of what a stroke should look like, then clips of how the student looks doing it.
"They have a decreased perception of their bodies in space and where their limbs are," Sidman said. "This is a way to show them."
After class, all students must take a shower before getting dressed, providing another opportunity for the students to practice life skills, Sidman said.
NECC founder and CEO Vincent Strully Jr. says he takes time out of his schedule to watch the kids swim at the $6 million aquatic center. Their smiles are satisfying to see after developing a capital plan to focus on building a pool about eight years ago, he said.
"It was worth every penny and all the hard work," he said. "We wanted it for many years, and we're thrilled with it."
Source: http://www.milforddailynews.com/multimedia/x29300720/Autistic-students-making-progress-at-aquatics-center
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