Swimming lessons are a rite of passage for many Australians, but one group of kids often miss out. Children with a disability are at a higher risk of drowning, but a program in western Sydney is trying to change that.
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00:00Avraj Singh loves being in the pool.
00:05He just gets really thrilled when we are in the water.
00:09The four-year-old lives with disability and noisy, crowded aquatic centres can be overwhelming
00:14places to learn water safety.
00:17Avraj has some learning difficulty because of which he cannot be accommodated in a mainstream
00:23class which has a bigger group size.
00:26Now Parramatta Council in Sydney's West is trialling classes catering for children with
00:31disability.
00:32Data shows autistic children in particular are three times more likely to drown than
00:36non-autistic children.
00:38Those aged five to nine are at highest risk with accidental falls into lakes and pools
00:44most common.
00:45All children are attracted to water.
00:48We need to ensure that our most vulnerable children who may not be able to communicate
00:52at the same level as children without a disability know those basic skills and know that water
00:58can be dangerous.
01:01Classes are adapted for each child's individual needs and teachers run smaller groups at quieter
01:07times.
01:08Our focus is more on teaching the parents the skills so then they can continue teaching
01:14their child outside of classes for as long as possible.
01:18Classes are also aimed at migrant communities who are at increased risk.
01:23We have some of the highest drowning rates and we do need to change that.
01:27Paralympian Tim Hodge says without supportive teachers he would never have won gold.
01:33It gave me an incredible opportunity to learn how to swim, to improve my physical fitness,
01:39to socialise with other kids and to be able to chase my dreams really.
01:45So that everyone gets to make a splash.
01:48Learn more at www.plastics-car.co.uk