Children with disabilities often have difficulty controlling their bodies in daily situations and encounter sensory issues, making everyday living challenging. Swimming can provide a calming environment to thrive, as being in water extraordinarily affect children’s minds, bodies, and emotions. In this article, our therapy staffing experts will discuss four excellent sensory-motor benefits that swimming can offer children with disabilities.
1. A Safe Zone
The increased pressure of being underwater provides children with a calming feeling of safety and comfort all over their bodies. Many children with disabilities will discover that the water is a secure “safe zone” where they can stay grounded, feel weightless, and exist.
After children become more confident in the water, they can tune out the unwanted visuals or unfiltered noise of the outside world, making the water an extremely relaxing oasis for even the most disturbed.
2. Improved Motor Skills
Swimming in water enhances sensory input, further developing physical awareness and improving motor skills. Being underwater provides proprioceptive feedback that allows children to understand their location in time/space through body awareness and engage specific muscles in particular motions.
As a result, children can discover how to use muscles and systems they have never used previously. They can also engage muscles for specific movements that others can do while on land, making water sports like badminton and basketball much more fun! Some of these movements include:
- Walking
- Jumping
- Hopping
- Standing on one leg
3. Muscle Strengthening
A great way to exercise and build muscle tone, swimming requires stamina because it uses nearly every muscle within the body. Additionally, swimming takes less strain on your body than any other type of physical exercise. So, kids can gain the strength they need to function better outside of the water!
4. Increased Self-Confidence
As children with sensory needs discover how to enjoy the waters and gather the skills necessary to swim, they build self-confidence and self-esteem. With the proper support and encouragement from educational therapists, kids can experience life-changing growth that can enable them to accomplish their goals in life.
In conclusion, swimming can offer these four outstanding sensory-motor benefits to kids with disabilities. From providing a safe zone to improving motor skills, swimming is an excellent way to strengthen the muscles while building self-confidence. If your children aren’t swimming yet, we hope you will consider taking advantage of the perks of this empowering activity. We believe that by focusing on the fun, the benefits will come!
What sensory-motor benefits does swimming offer your students? We want to know. Please share in the comments below!
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