Lane Lines

This semester, I am doing three pool-pal sessions. The main reason why I am doing three sessions this time is so I can get to know three different individuals with Autism or perhaps another disability.

I will explain the first two individuals in a later post but there is one in particular who I must explain about right away. I can't reveal his real name under Pool-Pals rules so I will just call him Michael.

Michael is only five years old. I classify him on the borderline of low-high functioning Autism. The Past couple of weeks, Michael would not like to get into the pool because he doesn't like getting wet. He doesn't like wearing wet life jackets. He doesn't like the pool being cold and just doesn't like being wet in general.

It always takes forever to get him into the pool and he usually does finally go in after about ten minutes but I have to piggy-back ride him. Michael loves lane lines. He always stares and plays (stims) with them. He loves Thomas the Tank Engine which Nicky and I can relate.

Last week, Michael jumped a few lane lines away from the rest of the group and I had to chase after him. The Main Coordinator told me after-wards that she knows I'm too nice to yell at him but urged me to call for help if I ever face a similar circumstance in the future. I took note of that. Last week, I finally got him to participate in an event when I told him the lane lines were part of the activity we were doing. He seemed pretty happy about that and I was relieved.

This week, Michael received a really dry life-jacket just for him. I put it on for him but he as usual did not want to go in the pool. He wouldn't even get on my back this time for me to piggy-back ride him. Not even the lane lines were enough to get him in. He doesn't like to be cold or wet.

Finally, the main coordinator offered him a rubber raft to ride in. He accepted. The Coordinator suggested I wet the raft so he could get used to the wetness but he refused. While everyone else was in the pool, I was pushing the raft with Michael in it.

During Simon Says, it was Michael's turn and he screamed "SIMON SAYS EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE POOL!" It was tough. I liked it better last week when he said "Simon Says everybody act like Thomas the Tank Engine."

I was pushing Michael in the raft while everyone else was swimming. I kept asking but he refused to slip in the pool. The raft almost tipped over but I was able to grab it in time.

Finally it was Raft Jump time where the kids climb up a giant tube, stand on it, wave to their parents up in the bleachers above the pool, then jumped in. Michael has always loved the tube. I asked Michael if he wanted to participate and he said "Yeah!" I told him that he must be in the pool in order to climb up the tube.

A couple of minutes later, a few moments before the event was to take place, I noticed Michael requested a bucket. The coordinator gave it to him. He starts filling the bucket up with water and starts dumping it into the raft while he is still in it. He kept dumping it over and over again in the raft while he was in it. His body was shaking with excitement and kept giggling.

I knew what he was doing. he was getting himself used to being wet in small doses. Then, a moment later, he intentionally slips out of the raft and into the pool. He was now in the pool and he was happy! He was moving with great enthusiasm, I couldn't believe it. When the event took place, He climbed up the tube stood, then jumped back in the pool. Afterward, he participated in the remaining activities while in the pool. It was incredible! After we got out of the pool, the coordinator gave him a huge hi-five. What a comeback!

It was incredible! I've never seen anything like it. Michael and I exchanged goodbyes and I told him I would see him again in two weeks. I exercised in the pool for about twenty minutes. I went in my room, got my phone to call my mom and talked to her while I returned to the Pool area to better describe her what had just taken place.

After I was about to leave the pool area for a second time, I looked at the lane lines. I may never look at lane lines the same way again.