Teaching Swimming to a Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Teaching Swimming to a Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Author: Meghan Daly Ayers

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13:

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Acquiring aquatic and swimming competency provides a healthy physical activity and an important lifesaving skill for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD often struggle with auditory directions, a primary means of teaching swimming. Research suggests that the implementation of visual aids during instruction provides concrete communication between the instructor and student and improves the student's ability to master new skills. A single subject research study was conducted during a 12-lesson swim program with an 8-year-old boy in order to test whether visual supports enhanced his ability to acquire swimming skills. The results of the study indicated that the use of visual aids during instruction helped the student gain a higher percentage of new aquatic skills than during lessons utilizing traditional instructional methods. The findings of this study are significant because swim lesson instructors and swim coaches may help swimmers with ASD advance their swimming abilities using similar types of prompts. Swimming provides an obtainable sport for the ASD community and helps decrease stereotypical behaviors associated with ASD. Moreover, the more proficient a child with ASD becomes at swimming, the less likely they are to drown. This study discusses the implications visual supports have on the swimming community, in addition to its implications on pedagogy for children with ASD in other extracurricular activities. Keywords :swimming, aquatic play, ASD, visual supports, visual aids, pedagogy.

Exploring the Experiences of Coaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canadian Aquatic Programs
Exploring the Experiences of Coaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canadian Aquatic Programs

Author: Erin Kraft

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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Teaching children how to swim provides them with the necessary skills to maintain a physically active lifestyle. Many children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis have shown interest in participating in swimming lessons. Studies have demonstrated that teaching students with ASD how to swim has aided in their motor performance (Yanardag, Nurgil, & Akmanoglu, 2013), their ability to initiate social interactions with peers (Chu & Pan, 2012) and a reduction in stereotypical behaviours associated with ASD (Vonder Hulls, Walker, & Powell, 2006). In order to meet the needs of this unique group of students, swim instructors take part in a variety of training programs amongst other experiences to effectively prepare themselves to teach their students with ASD. This study consists of three individual case studies designed to examine the journeys that swim instructors have taken in order to effectively coach students with ASD how to swim, along with encouraging motor skill development, social interactions and reducing stereotypical behaviours. Two research questions guide this study: What are the experiences of swim instructors who work with children with ASD? What are the practical teaching strategies in swimming lessons that are effective for social skill development, reducing stereotypical behaviours and motor skill development in children with ASD? The findings of this study which focus on strategies of effective practice include: gestural communication, positive practice, contact communication, complexities of choice, and encouraging independence and confidence. Along with these findings, the instructors credit the following sources for their construction of knowledge: peer learning and mentorship, parental/caregiver support, and the value of certification and training. It is clear that instructors access a number of sources for their coaching development, but current swim instructor certification programs require revisions to increase instructor preparedness. This study contributes to current literature which focuses on coaching individuals with developmental disabilities. The findings may provide coaches with insight into strategies of effective practice for a more inclusive and equitable community.

The Educator′s Guide to Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Educator′s Guide to Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Author: Josefa Ben-Arieh

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2009-03-18

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 1452272549

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"An excellent, practitioner-friendly resource for identifying, applying, and evaluating maximally effective interventions and treatments for students with autism-related disorders." —Richard L. Simpson, Professor of Special Education University of Kansas "I highly recommend this book. This is a valuable, comprehensive, and user-friendly resource with realistic case studies that show how collaboration occurs with related services." —Gloria Wolpert, Autism Program Director Manhattan College Specific, proven strategies for successfully teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders! This guide brings the most recent advancements in evidence-based interventions to both novice and experienced educators who are looking for practical and meaningful strategies for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The authors provide step-by-step, field-tested guidelines that connect with Individualized Education Program goals, illustrate how to write a behavior intervention plan, and demonstrate methods for delivering effective interventions, including applied behavior analysis, functional behavior assessment, and positive behavioral supports. This concise handbook features sidebars highlighting major points, vignettes, and summaries, and includes many sample materials, tools, and reproducible forms. Teachers get the "nuts and bolts" on Identifying and including students with ASD in the general education classroom Organizing the classroom environment, creating space, and managing time Promoting independence, communication, and socially appropriate behaviors Selecting visual strategies, tools, and curriculum resources This user-friendly resource presents educators with a solid framework for delivering first-rate services to foster confidence and success for every student with ASD.

Swimming with Autism
Swimming with Autism

Author: Tammy Anderson-Lee

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 9780578149219

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"Swimming with Autism 2nd Edition is an essential resource that will answer the many questions you may have while educating those with autism. The easy to follow format, filled with images, scenarios and case studies, will explain in detail the successfully proven teaching methodology developed by Aqua Pros Swim School for students to learn the valuable life-saving skill of swimming"--from Amazon.com.

Physical Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Physical Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Author: Michelle Grenier

Publisher: Human Kinetics

Published: 2013-10-15

Total Pages: 153

ISBN-13: 1492583545

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Current estimates are that 1 out of 88 children will be diagnosed with some form of autism. Planning a curriculum that includes all students, including those with ASD, can be a challenging task but well worth the effort. This book identifies strategies that highlight students’ skills, interests, and abilities though collaborative practices, environmental design, and assistive technologies. Physical Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach • introduces the inclusion spectrum as a tool to help teachers analyze appropriate instruction for students, aligning abilities with curriculum and activity context; • provides information on tools such as scripts, video modeling, social stories, and choice boards to assist teachers in developing programs; • presents a variety of activities that teachers can choose from to help students with ASD develop social and motor skills; and • assimilates best practices from general and adapted PE as well as autism training and research that offer solutions for increased student engagement in physical education. Written by contributors with extensive experience in developing inclusive programming for students with ASD, Physical Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach is ideal for physical education and adapted physical education courses across the K-12 curriculum. Part I provides an understanding of students with ASD that offers insights from parents’ and teachers’ perspectives. From there, the authors examine the application of the inclusion spectrum that helps teachers plan for appropriate instruction. Readers will also find communication and social learning tools they can use to minimize the stress students may experience while optimizing learning experiences. Assessment protocols assist with the development of relevant IEP goals and objectives. Part II contains individualized and group games and activities that enhance lifelong learning for students with ASD. Physical Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach is a practical resource that helps teachers design optimal plans for including students with ASD in general and adapted physical education classes. The manual contains numerous strategies, tools, and resources that assist teachers with individualizing instruction in ways that foster positive peer relationships as well as development of social and motor skills. It’s a win-win situation for all—teachers, parents, and most of all the students.

Essentials of Teaching Adapted Physical Education
Essentials of Teaching Adapted Physical Education

Author: Samuel Hodge

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-09-29

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1351217372

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Essentials of Teaching Adapted Physical Education: Diversity, Culture, and Inclusion offers a wealth of knowledge for teaching today's diverse student population, including those with disabilities. Readers will learn how to teach a variety of students, organize learning within various curricular models, assess and evaluate students, and manage behavior. Readers will also learn more about the conditions and disabilities they may encounter when teaching, how to understand students' various abilities, and how to adapt and modify instructional methods to include all students. The book emphasizes the importance of being culturally responsive and acquiring the necessary knowledge to infuse appropriate, socially just practices into educational settings. Future teachers will learn how to apply culturally responsive instructional methods and behavior management strategies and will understand broader social and economic contexts for their students' behavior. At the same time, this book provides more than a how-to approach to teaching adapted physical education. Its content and features promote reflective learning, encouraging readers to anticipate the types of teaching situations and challenges that may arise and think through how they will respond. Scenarios and vignettes throughout provide context for the material and promote critical thinking and problem solving.

The Benefits of a Structured Swim Program on Children Diagnosed Within the Autism Spectrum Disorder
The Benefits of a Structured Swim Program on Children Diagnosed Within the Autism Spectrum Disorder

Author: Jennifer Marie Gaskell

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9781303765919

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Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the outcomes of a structured aquatic swim program on the social communication skills, level of orientation to reality, responses to stimuli and emotional control for children diagnosed with the Autism Spectrum Disorder. This study utilized a multiple single-subject case study design for children between 5 and 8 years of age who were diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum Disorder. There were no gender specific requirements; however the researcher prefers both male and female subjects for the study. No prior experience with a structured swim program was preferred, however it was not necessary. The relationship between the responsiveness in children within the Autism Spectrum and the representation of a structured swim program began to appear toward the end of this study. Subjects began with inconsistent levels of behavioral responses and abilities in maintaining focus. Levels of responsiveness in each subcategory varied from participate to participate and session by session. Data collected from this study suggests that the subjects diagnosed within the autism spectrum were able to demonstrate mild improvements during the application of the intervention. Towards the end of the application all of the subjects began to hit a plateau in one area or another; which created an observation baseline.