Former Swimming Standout Teaches Autistic Child How To Swim

[Geordie]

July 23, 2012, was a special day for former swimming standout Jason Deierlein. More than twenty years ago, Deierlein won his first state swimming championship. On this day, Deierlein once again entered the water, not for a race, but to assist and instruct a five year old autistic boy how to swim.

In doing so, a sense of achievement and satisfaction was achieved for both. ?Swimming saved my life after my car accident, and I love the fact that I now have the opportunity to use that former skill to improve the life of this autistic child,? Deierlein says. His life will be improved substantially through swimming, he will be more coordinated, and will have the mentality that he can achieve because he has already done just that.

?My Positive Perspective was founded for this exact reason,? Deierlein says, ?It?s about not letting things get you down to the point where you lie around feeling sorry for yourself. That does no good, for you and your loved ones.? It is better to do the best with what you have, and that was what was shown to me by a five year old boy.

By not allowing autism to change his life, getting in the pool, learning how to swim, and accomplishing a goal, this brave boy displayed determination with every pull and kick.


- From Yugoslavia

 

[Soup]

Thanks for posting this inspiring story! There was a recent news broadcast here in QC because of the spike in children drowning in back yard pools. Despite there being laws requiring that the pool be fenced in (as in separated from the neighbours' yards) many people fail to place an inner security fence around the pool itself within the yard so toddlers & young kids slip out into the yard, enter the pool & drown.

Autistic kids, they mentioned, tend to be drawn to bodies of water: I'm definitely one of those! They quietly wander off from the house & drown in pools, lakes & rivers. The emphasized how important it is to teach all kids to swim & warned parents of Autistic children to register their child in swimming classes especially designed for Autistic children (they listed some resources).

 

[Geordie]

I think for autistic children, it's fun to swim on water. It's even more fun to soak up in the water, what a therapeutic experience

It's even better to have patient and lovely people teaching fellow Auties how to swim. Woohoo