In any learning environment, everyone should be supported to reach their full potential. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But consider those who learn differently, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or ADHD/ADD. They are trying to learn in a world that isn’t designed to support them, which clearly creates a barrier to them reaching their full potential.
The Individuals Matters
A commonly used umbrella phrase for conditions that result in individuals learning differently is ‘neurodiverse’. This to me, is a positive word as it highlights that those individuals just think differently, their brains aren’t wired the same as ‘normal people’ (whatever ‘normal’ is!). Surely that can only be a good thing that there are people who think differently, they are able to be creative and problem-solve in new ways which benefit everyone. But only if they are encouraged, supported and taught how to use these talents.
In my many years of coaching and the eight years I spent teaching swimming lessons, I have encountered many swimmers with neurodiverse conditions. One of the most important aspects of supporting neurodiverse athletes is to understand that even though you might have several individuals with the same diagnosis, e.g. ASD, who have similar traits, they are all still individuals. Therefore, it’s the same as coaching anyone who isn’t neurodivergent, you need to understand them as an individual to get the best out of them.
Building Trust is the Key
The most effective approach I have found to understand people is just simply to talk to them, regardless of how they learn. This makes you approachable and builds trust. When an athlete you are coaching trusts you, they will be more honest about how they are feeling and where they may be confused about something. This enables you to empathise and think of different solutions to support the way they learn. It is important to understand that this may take longer with neurodivergent athletes who have been trying to fit into a world that is built for non-neurodivergent people. This makes them feel misunderstood and therefore not supported, and so then giving someone their trust is not easy to do and takes both time and patience from their coach.
However, once you gain the trust of a neurodivergent athlete and you can work with them to understand how they learn, you can then create an environment for them where they will flourish. Out of all of the athletes I coach, my neurodiverse athletes often progress quicker than non-neurodiverse athletes, including reaching national-level competitions. I think this is partly because of the work that I put in to understand and support them, but also because the sport of artistic swimming lends itself to some of the more common traits of neurodiversity. These athletes really understand the detail, they learn routines quickly and they always need to be challenged and stretched to keep their focus.
Confidence and Encouragement
Where they need more support is with their confidence and encouragement when they feel they can’t do something, they need to be reassured that it’s ok if they can’t do something the first time, the important thing is just to try and then keep trying. All I ask of any of my athletes, regardless of how they learn, is that they try their hardest and I am clear with them that the effort they can put in, both physical and mental, will be different on different days.
I really enjoy coaching neurodiverse athletes, they are always great fun to work with and it’s rewarding to be able to provide them with an environment where they feel they can be themselves and still learn and achieve, just like everyone else.
