Pool
Cold water on the skin, splashes bouncing off the walls and a floor that suddenly slopes deeper make the pool unpredictable for many children. The visual support below walks through the visit step by step, from changing to the first dip.
Pool
A swimming pool with a metal ladder and a red and white life ring floating on the water.
About this visual support
The first time toes meet the pool water it is often colder than the child expected, and at the same time the echo and the splashing come at them from every side. It is a lot to take in at once, and a floor that slopes downward makes it hard to know where it is safe to stand.
Visual support gives the child a map of the visit before you have even left the changing room. With a picture for getting undressed, one for the shower, one for dipping the feet and one for stepping in at the shallow edge, all the input turns into an order instead of a wall of noise and cold. The child knows what the next step is and does not have to guess.
One concrete tip: add a picture for getting used to the temperature, such as sitting on the edge and kicking the feet in the water for a while. That step is easy to skip but stops the cold arriving as a shock when the whole body goes in.
If you want the steps in your pocket on the way there, Routined has them. The images here are free to download.