Success At The Pool With Big Al

Everyday seems like a struggle when it comes to deal with two children that are on the spectrum. You never know what emotional roller coater you are going to take today. I try my hardest every day to enrich the kids lives. The one activity that has been constant all summer long has been our visits to our local pool. Now that Little Al is done with extended session she can join in on the fun. She is still very very very afraid of the water but is willing to get in and hang on tight.

Now since Big Al and I have spent the last seven weeks in the pool together in the Tots (It's like Mommy and Me in water) he LOVES the water. It's a huge difference from the start of the summer. He now knows that he can reach the bottom of the pool and walk around. He can rocket launch himself off the side of the pool just like his big sister, Big Bea. By the way, she is a mermaid in the water. He is his cousin's, Dominick, satellite.

During instruction time in the pool we play "Ring Around The Rosie." When it's time to fall down, we all fall into the water. Big Al screams to the top of his lungs when he goes down with me. The success comes when we have free and/or public pool time. He asks me, "Mommy? I play ring around the Rosie...ok?" I look at him with my eyes wide open....I am listen to him sing the song...

He holds his nose and......"We all fall down!"

Goes into the water....the water covers his entire head....

He pops back up....smiling!

I looked at my sister and said, "Oh my god....YAY!"

My Big Al dunked his head in the water...by himself.

Take that sensory processing disorder!

I do blog a lot about my kids' success stories. Because of the global delays that Big and Little Al have sometimes I feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I wait patiently. I patiently teach them the same routines, words, sounds, songs, etc.....and I wait to see the hope that these things are sinking in and that my efforts are working. It took seven weeks in the pool and he got it.

I have been punched, pushed, pulled, exposed, bruised and splat at. I was Big Al's pool punching bag. It was and is all worth it to know that Big Al is not scared to be under the water for a moment. He can walk, float (for a moment) and kick his way across the pool. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that he succeed in the pool.