This podcast truly helped me understand the importance of seeing an activity through an "OT lens". When I initially thought of swimming, I assumed it would be a predominantly leisure activity. But by looking through the OT lens, there are so many more components of the activity that can be transferred to other tasks or occupations. As Nick Murray explained in the podcast, teaching a child with autism to swim not only teaches them that activity, but works on other skills, such as sequencing, sensory processing, and motor function, that are important for the development of that child.
One example he gave really hit home for me. He told a story about a child with autism who hated getting his head wet. Not only does that make the task at hand, swimming, difficult, but also can make the daily task of showering or washing his hair difficult. By easing him into the idea and allowing him to pour water on the lifeguards head, making the whole experience fun for him, he warmed up to the idea and made progress towards the ultimate goal, submerging underwater and eventually swimming. Not only does this progress show up in the swimming pool, but I can see it transferring into his daily hygiene routine. To me, that's the beauty of our profession. We use meaningful activities to develop skills that will help in future activities and child development.
Such great thoughts on looking at a simple aspects of a leisure activity like swimming and how it can be a part of our daily life. The story of the boy with autism and swimming is interesting because that would truly cause problems with his personal life. I thought it was super interesting how they handled his fear of getting his head wet. Great Job!
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