Autism Awareness Week Celebrating One-To-One Swimming Programme Success

Run for Autism HAND (Helping Autism in the Newry District) and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council worked in partnership to provide a special swimming programme for local children with a diagnosis of autism.

The children were offered a series of one-to-one lessons with a qualified swimming instructor from the Newry Leisure Centre.

The programme was designed and facilitated by Cara McShane (HAND) who said, “Swimming is particularly beneficial for children with autism as it helps ease repetitive behaviours, helps with socialisation skills and it has been proven that it can help increase attention span.”

Cara continued, “One-to-one lessons are the best way to teach these children vital water skills due to the complexities associated with their diagnosis. The children involved in the programme have benefitted greatly and we look forward to developing this programme further”.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick said, “The swimming lessons were very successful and a lot of young people with autism have now acquired swimming skills and water safety awareness. I am delighted that Council are working in partnership with HAND who do such good work in our area and that our new leisure centre is accommodating and welcoming to all groups.”

For more information on the programme, contact Ciara Lowe, Disability Liaison and Sport Development Officer at ciara.lowe@nmandd.org