A new weekly private swim will be offered for those wanting to enjoy the pool who need a quieter experience.

The pool is starting a new program this summer to provide a comfortable swimming environment for residents of all ages with sensory sensitivities. Those with sensory processing disorders have trouble with certain sensory signals, which can make them feel overwhelmed.

Aquatic supervisor Dylan Coleman said the goal of the sensory swim program is to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome at the pool.

“It’s really important that we make sure everyone has a great time here because it is a community place,” Coleman said.

Coleman said the pool will limit splashing and provide shady areas. Lifeguards will only use whistles in case of an emergency.

“It’s going to be more quiet, more calm, just so that they feel like, ‘OK, I’m safe to get in the water,’” Coleman said. “It’ll be more of just, like, a free swim for people who might need a little bit of accommodation to have a better time here.”

It’s good to see the pool creating this inclusive environment, said Jim Persinger, assistant director of East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education.

“People don’t always appreciate the extent to which we’re all wired a little differently,” Persinger said. “There are a lot of folks who would not use the pool or who otherwise would not participate in a lot of things because of sensory issues.”

Persinger said those with autism, anxiety and attention disorders like ADHD typically experience sensory processing issues. This can make them more sensitive to light, crowds and loud noises.

Persinger said when people without sensory issues hear loud noises like music or the screams of children at the swimming pool, their sensory system adjusts to it and turns it down.

“People who are hypersensitive, the noise doesn’t ever get turned down and so we can tolerate it for a bit, then it quickly starts grating, and that can lead to us feeling overwhelmed,” he said.

Research suggests 15 to 20 percent of people have a sensory processing issue, Persinger said.

“It is a surprisingly high number of folks that are affected by this,” he said. “Hopefully, it becomes even more common that people kind of adjust for these things.”

Jacqui Folks said she’s proud to see that Parks and Recreation is creating this program. Folks said an opportunity like this would have been amazing for her son.

“We didn’t take our son to the pool a ton when he was younger because of the crowd and just entering the pool, there’s already so many sensory shocks,” Folks said.

Along with the crowd, things like temperature change, surface changes and noise can make it difficult for those with sensory sensitivities to enjoy themselves at the pool, Folks said.

“By eliminating the noise, the splashing, the whistles, the large announcements and giving them the calming environment in a personal space, with my son, I could see that would have led to him feeling comfortable enough to look around at his peers and maybe trigger some parallel play,” Folks said.

The pool will hold a sensory swim from 11 a.m. to noon every Friday in July, as well as Aug. 2 and 9. The pool will be closed to everyone else during this time. Admission is $4 and covers the participant and one caretaker.

Participants can register for sensory swim by visiting https://jarvisregister.com/default.aspx?org=eudora. 

Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected]. 

To donate to support our community journalism, please go to this link: tinyurl.com/y4u7stxj