By Rebecca Givens, SEND Swim Teacher & Neurodiversity Advocate

Neurodiversity is often described as one of ‘aquatics’ secret superpowers’, and is why many individuals with neurodivergent needs make incredible teachers. Manifesting in traits like a heightened sense of awareness, an amazing ability to spot patterns and a thorough attention to detail, conditions like ADHD and autism can provide characteristics that make some of the most passionate and diligent swim teachers you will come across in our industry.

Aquatics also attracts a high volume of teachers with neurodivergent needs because they often fathom on a personal level the direct beneficial impact swimming has on living with a neurodevelopmental disorder. With ADHD, for example, the repetitive motion of swimming can give the brain what it needs – bodily movement, dopamine release, deep pressure, meditative rhythm and a calm underwater environment which can soothe feelings of overwhelm and chaos.

With excellent initiatives like the STA’s Ripple Effect, we’re actively increasing accessible pathways into teaching for those who may initially experience learning barriers. As an ADHD individual myself, training with the STA and other governing bodies, I have always felt adequately and appropriately supported during the courses, able to discuss my needs and how they can be met. However, with initial training complete, the next question we need to ask is – are we retaining these neurodivergent teachers long-term?

Those of us working daily within the swimming industry know only too well that retention rates can feel low, often due to the volume of part-time student teachers who work around other studies or go on to other higher education pathways. We know that there aren’t enough teachers to meet current demand across the UK, but we also need more research on retention rates across the industry, and subsequently how supported our neurodivergent workforce feels and qualitative motivations for those who do sadly leave positions.

‘More than half of neurodivergent professionals report planning to quit or considering it. We’re looking at a talent crisis that demands immediate attention.’ – Psychology Today

Numerous worldwide reports highlight the unique struggles that neurodivergent individuals face across different workplaces. Many neurodivergent groups actually oppose the term ‘superpower’ as it can often underplay conditions and frame them as solely positive, when living daily with the real struggles of a neurodevelopmental disorder can sometimes be nothing short of debilitating. The truth is that at times, it can feel hard to stay afloat. Neurodivergent people are statistically far more likely to experience mental stress than the general population and this is because the world as we know it – and that includes the structures and systems of the workplace – has been designed for a neurotypical brain.

Sensory overload and overwhelm, difficulties with maintaining routine and consistency, needing visual communication, heightened emotions, memory retention issues, mental health lows, attention span challenges, an inability to ‘switch off’, burnout and striking healthy work/life balance are just some of the struggles I have experienced myself as a neurodivergent working individual over the last two decades.

Of course, the Equality Act 2010 prohibits disabled and neurodivergent individuals from experiencing any direct workplace discrimination, but are we also actively taking steps to adjust our working practices to best fit the needs of those who are likely to experience mental stress at work? 1 in 5 children in school are currently requiring an altered support system – looking at our working contracts, patterns, approaches and communications… are we tailoring the workplace for 1 in 5 staff also? Neurodiversity itself is the concept that every single individual’s brain works differently but are some aspects of our businesses still operating on a ‘one size fits all’ approach?

‘Lack of understanding, stress caused by sensory overload, a workplace environment which does not accommodate neurodiversity and attempting to mask neurodivergence can all undermine mental wellbeing.’ – Bupa

One of the challenges is that a ‘secret superpower’ is quite often just that – secret, silent, invisible. Many neurodivergent individuals have mastered the art of masking due to lack of previous support and have become experts at struggling through challenging environments rather than asking for things to change. We have a responsibility as an industry to better understand these incredibly common and complex conditions and work to support them, if we wish to retain diverse workforces.

The basis of good SEND practice always puts emphasis on the system to change, not the individual. A traditional approach would expect neurodivergent individuals to look at their conditions and adapt. This archaic mindset is completely unrealistic, demoralising, discriminatory and of course doesn’t retain staff long-term. In all areas of society, it is the responsibility of the surrounding environment to constantly adapt to meet a range of diverse needs. As swim providers, we are so incredibly primed to achieve this – it’s what we do already! Across every second of aquatic lessons, we change teaching methods, equipment and language to best-fit the swimmer’s individual ability. Why are we not consistently taking this approach even further and using it to best support and retain staff?

Some best practices to consider include giving staff a clear opportunity to disclose and discuss needs (if they wish to), regular supportive catch-ups with their manager and the creation of long-term, non-judgemental working relationships so staff feel comfortable asking for help. Always have empathy and patience, knowing that (due to underdiagnoses, masking and historical lack of support systems) neurodivergent staff may not yet be able to understand their own conditions fully themselves. Checking-in with staff poolside during their shifts can go a long way and create an atmosphere of support.

Many neurodivergent staff may benefit from the option of flexible working patterns or zero hours contracts to work alongside hyperfocus and burnout cycles, including mental health time off if needed and signposts to additional external support systems. Encourage a healthy working set-up and clear boundaries between work and non-work, ensuring breaks are being taken. Offer quiet spaces and break-rooms, zones for sensory down-time away from the major hyperstimulation that is a poolside!

Neurodivergent adults are likely to have communication and information processing preferences and barriers. Insisting someone turns their camera on during a training session or call, for example, is deeply inaccessible. Always be clear, consistent and visual if needed when communicating with staff. Give options and choice if it helps. Allow opportunity for visual learning. Some may need more processing time than neurotypical adults – absorbing information, signing a policy, setting-up for a class, reading the registers, making lesson notes. In school, a child with neurodevelopmental needs may have additional time and regular breaks in an exam – what is our version of this in the adult workplace?

Consider how you can facilitate positive discussions and awareness around mental health and neurodiversity. SEND training for all staff is vital, especially for those managing and working alongside those with needs (and not short webinars but in-depth paid training and shadowing possibilities). Additional professional development opportunities for neurodivergent staff will go a long way – they invest in future skills and allow those who may have previously felt marginalised to now feel valued. Encourage neurodivergent staff to have a voice and be involved in decision-making – it will develop self-esteem, confidence and feelings of self-worth for a community that has statistically struggled in those areas.

Lastly, one of the most important aspects of supporting those with needs is knowing that no two neurodivergent (or neurotypical!) individuals are the same. Whilst the above advice can serve as a helpful starting point for managers, support must always be tailored and specific to the person, not the condition label.

‘Children with SEND face a significantly higher risk of drowning compared to their neurotypical peers. According to the National Autism Association, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from accidental drowning.’ – RLSS

So, why invest so much in our neurodivergent workforce? Well, the children with additional needs that we teach are not only statistically more likely to drown than their peers but are also more likely to experience negative life outcomes because of their conditions. The education system’s current SEND crisis is making it continually evident that so many children are not able to receive the support they need on a daily basis and that this could affect their lives long-term. Yet, one of the last zones in society where I personally witness those children feeling seen and heard is in our swimming pools. I see those positive outcomes in real time – how the water regulates them, makes them feel safe and doesn’t put pressure on them to be anyone else other than who they truly are. That 30 minutes of swimming can regenerate that self-esteem, self-belief and self-value that might have been zapped from a conforming school day.

‘The SEND system is in crisis, failing far too many children and their families.’ – UK Parliament

These children need our pools, need to see evidence of diverse workplaces and most of all they need their neurodivergent teachers – the teachers who see them for who they are and are best-equipped to understand their challenges, teach them in a way that meets their needs and ensures they have a positive learning experience. Not only is the neurodivergent teacher actively working towards reducing that shocking drowning statistic but, if we best support them to, he or she can consistently show up as a person of trust in the life of a child who is likely to be struggling. That swim teacher is not just a swim teacher but becomes an image of hope for that child’s future. The world clearly still has some pretty big inclusion work to carry out and we need our swim superheroes to lead us through it.