My SPD newly 8 year old DS falls in the category of "fear of drowning." He has always hated water in his face and it led to many anxiety tantrums as a toddler in the bathtub. We tried group lessons at 5 and he refused to jump in or put his head underwater although he is happy to hop around in the shallow end and likes being in the water. Any attempt by me to get him to even blow bubbles creates a panic.
So my solution was to sign him up for swimming lessons through the therapeutic recreation program in my city. There will be other kids with mild to moderate disabilities in the class but it's very small. Hoping that these instructors can do what I couldn't do and help him get over that fear. Learning to swim is non-negotiable to me. He starts tomorrow so we'll see. He wasn't thrilled that I signed him up again but after going on a tour of the pool he decided to feel brave about it. We'll see tomorrow when we get there LOL
