Examination of a Structured Swim Program on Social Interaction, Communication, and Stereotypical Behaviors In Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Background: Swimming is a lifetime activity that individuals can participate in alongside family and friends (Prupas et al., 2006). Research suggests children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enjoy swimming and respond in a typical manner to a hierarchy of swim skills (Killian et al., 1984;Yilmaz et al., 2004). Due to the therapeutic benefits, such as the warm temperature, buoyancy, and resistance of the water, children with ASD tend to thrive in the aquatic environment (Dulcy, 1992; Huettig & Darden-Melton, 2004). For instance, it has been suggested that swimming promotes social interaction (Pan, 2010) and decreases stereotypical behaviors (Yilmaz et al., 2004) in children with ASD. However, while past research confirms children with ASD benefit from the water, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the social, physical, and emotional benefits of aquatics on the characteristics of ASD. 

Objectives: Using a phenomenological qualitative framework, the aim was to explore the influence of a structured swim program on social interaction, communication, stereotypical behaviors, and quality of life (QOL) of children with ASD, from the perspectives of the parents, teachers, and volunteers. For the purpose of this study, QOL was defined as the social, physical, and emotional well-being of the child. 

Methods:  A mixed-model “dominant-less dominant” design employing a qualitative framework with a quantitative component (Creswell, 1994) was chosen as the research design for this study. Recruitment took place at a school for children with developmental delays in South-Western Ontario. Recruited participants (n = 43) included: 15 children with expressive and receptive communication delays (including 6 children with ASD); 13 parents; 2 teachers; and 13 volunteers. All participants had various roles and degrees of involvement in the study. Each child participated in a 1-hour, structured swim class, once a week for 10-weeks. A certified swim instructor was responsible for teaching each swim session. Consistent with a phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews and open-ended questionnaires were the primary data collection strategies. Other data collection methods included: two quantitative scales, a background questionnaire, journal entries, evaluation forms, field notes, and member checks. The classroom teachers were responsible for completing all quantitative measures. The two quantitative scales included: four sections of the ABLLS-R (Partington, 2008) (i.e., social interaction, group interaction, requests, and spontaneous vocalizations); and The Children’s Behavior Rating Form, which is a five-point likert scale modeled after Tony Attwood’s (1998) Skills Rating Form.

Results: We are currently finishing data collection. Results will be completed by the conference. 

Conclusions: As parents and professionals continue to strive to find interventions that are beneficial for children with ASD, this study will shed insight to a possible beneficial intervention, which will not only provide physical activity and foster a healthy lifestyle, but may also help with the symptoms of ASD. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from this study will be useful for autism intervention services, early intervention programs, teachers, parents, and therapy providers.