Parents develop swimming aid for autistics

For most kids it's an easy solution - life vest - but for Harley that just wouldn't work. And when the life vest didn't work, the Johnston family inadvertently invented a swim aid for children with autism.

Paddler supports freestyle, breast-stroke, butterfly and back-stroke movements. Kids love Paddler because it is a fun, new and exciting application of their favorite pool noodle. Parents and swim instructors love Paddler because it supports more versatility for new swimmers.

The strong nylon belt with plastic clip is adjustable and insures a secure fit for most young swimmers. Recommended for ages 2-12.

“The life vest wouldn’t work on Harley. He would just take it off. He needed something that was confortable, around his waist. I looked online for different belts, and than I adapted one, and that’s how The Paddle was born”.

Harley loves being in the water, so his parents have to have to take extra precautions to keep their son safe.

“Kids with autism are attracted to the water because of the compression that provides on their body. When they’re on the water, they have no sense of mortality. So when you put a child with autism in the water, you really have to be cautious”, his father explained.

And now Harley can swim safely.

“From a family perspective, from a safety stand point, is important to know he’s gonna be ok. For Harley, this is perfect. He swims like he’s not wearing an aid", his father concluded.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2vnB3Ug

More info: http://bit.ly/2gNyyHt