When for once you are not completely lost.
It's summer and I think for most of us special needs parents it's hard to come up with activities. It is not entirely obvious that our children have the ability to activate themselves. It's not just dropping by the neighbors and playing, it's not just enrolling the child in an activity and believing that it will work like it does with other children. The reasons can be many, but it is often the case that the child has limitations and a lack of consequence thinking, which means that they constantly need support in everything from physical to social contexts. They don't fit into normal society. As a parent, you may feel guilty because your imagination is not enough to create a meaningful context. There is a lot that needs to be done. First of all, there must be interest in making it happen at all, the logistics must work, that we parents feel safe with the situation, and last but most importantly, an inclusive attitude and clarity from leaders and instructors is required.
Passionate souls exist! Doris had the pleasure of swimming with one of these fantastic zealots for several years. That man's coolness and just attitude is and has been a huge support over the years. Doris has swum and sure, she has also complained but having a coach who is inclusive and believes in you is of the utmost importance. This dude has not put so much importance on having a perfect crawling technique, but rather saw that it is the swimming itself that is important and also constantly emphasized how important it is to be able to swim to avoid drowning accidents. Clearly a person who has his priorities straight. He has built up security in the water. Not only for our children who are special, but also for their siblings and parents who have also been part of the pool for several years and both created and themselves obtained safety and security in the water.
As a parent of a child with functional variation, and in Doris's case Down syndrome with all that it now means for her, you don't always feel safe with the situation. Doris has problems seeing consequences, keeping her balance and has severely impaired vision, among other things, due to nystagmus. On the other hand, her hearing and touch are extremely well developed. In addition, she has a social intelligence and competence as well as a sense of humor that few can match.
Both of our boys have been sailing in the summers and we have asked Doris many times if it wouldn't be worth trying, but only last year she said yes, tried and was surprisingly hooked. This year she attends a sailing school called SS Delfinen and she absolutely loves it. One week in the morning and the next week in the afternoon. What makes it work then? Well, that is the obviousness that the club and its young leaders have. This gang has entered with life and desire to create stimulating and developing weeks for children who are going to learn to sail and they have really succeeded and in the middle of the gang was Doris with her whole personality. Yes, because she is a bit special in the context where she shows with her whole self a spontaneity and joy. Her unfiltered aproach is both inspiring and here she is a fine role model for the other students. When Doris got there on the first day, there were already familiar faces among the leaders and the reunion was extremely fond, and already on the second day she was out sailing on the sea all morning together with two of the instructors. The happiness was total! Extra support has been required and has been solved by having a few more young people among the leaders. Everyone has been equally good and welcoming. What a success and what a fantastic commitment. Doris would have liked to have sailed for a couple more weeks, but she will return next year instead and she is already looking forward to it. And best of all, we parents felt completely safe leaving her there. She was so ready and the instructors and leaders were so professional. Everything just worked.
And hey, she can swim!
