Why are autistics drawn to bodies of water?

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This is from my YouTube channel "Aspie With Attitude" where I recently uploaded a video about why children who are on the autism spectrum are drawn to water.



I haven't found many videos from autistic YouTube creators explaining why autistics, especially young children on the autism spectrum are drawn to bodies of water. There were plenty of information on useful websites that I had found on Google since I wanted to make this video on the subject.

I am myself as an adult, 40 years old feel that I get drawn to water. I love going for a swim and frolic in the water. It's been my joy in life and still have sensory challenges personally, I haven't mentioned in the video what my personal choice of swimwear are, it's very quirky. I like to make videos of myself for the channel of my swimming or frolicking in the water, I can't at the moment due to the pandemic.

I go to pools regularly and I also like swimming in clean safe bodies of water. As a 40 year old adult, I still like frolicking on inflatable devices and due to the wide range of sensory stimulation, this is why I love water so much.

I’d play in water as a kid, but it was the exact same way most NT kids do, and I did not have any fascination with it or anything. Now I actually avoid getting wet in any way because I have horrible sensory issues with the transition between dry and wet and also with suddenly getting wet, and then once I’ve gotten into the water, I have just as hard a time getting out. Annoyingly, this includes both showers and baths, so I have to use a wet washcloth and soap, and wash my hair separately. So I guess as usual, I am the outlier (though it is ironic that sensory issues that are part of my autism are what makes me avoid getting wet in any way )

I think the repetitive yet random visual of sunlight or water and waves can be very soothing. Same for the sound of water/waves. And going underwater blocks out a lot of noise stimuli. But I would say that most people are drawn to water...that's why beach houses, lake houses, river houses, etc. are so popular for vacations. It's not just an autism thing.

Perhaps the difference is that NTs often seek other humans for comfort when upset, whereas an upset ASD child is more likely to seek a pet or inanimate object or calming place...like the beach.

https://www.autismforums.com/threads/wh ... ost-703660

I don't think this is Aspie-specific. I was in the boat business, and as far as I can tell, my customers were descended from crazy people who had used them to find new lands to populate.

I love watching water!

When I was maybe 7 or 8 my family went to a picnic near a local reservoir and park near our home. The was a stream flowing not far from the picnic area and the children were absolutely free to roam. So, I got in a line near the stream, and found myself next to a small widening in the stream that people apparently jumped in. So, I jumped into what I thought would be a big puddle. Turns out to be a very very deep, very very cold chasm that was perhaps a natural spring outlet. I went way down deep and it was shockingly cold. It was thrilling. I came up with a big smile. I've been in love with bodies of water ever since.

I was a water baby, growing up in tropical Qld, Aus. I still live in the water, morning, noon and night ... in fact, this woman in Wales basically has my dream job ... she’s a “professional mermaid” !


https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/woman-who-makes-living-mermaid-16600407

*Aspie with Attitude ... as my fave Youtuber, I cannot wait to hear this video soon(just waiting on some new ears )

I like little streams. When I see roads partly flooded with water during a storm or just after, I get excited and want to drive through them!

I remember when young and my Mum had clothes or a blanket soaking in the bath when she was washing them, and while she had gone leaving them to soak, she often found me in the bath fully clothed and wet when she came back!

Mrs Peel ... yes, I hear of this happening regularly in Aus, especially when I covered the Autism news. A few years ago, a very dear friend who has a profoundly autistic son, lost her grandchild to one such drowning. Autistic children/adults seem to be similarly drawn to water in a way that Angelman Syndrome children/adults are, not all, but generally speaking. Makes sense, in so far as being drawn to “sensory” elements. We have sensory rooms, some of us have extreme reactions to light reflecting off of water(I know of one autistic man who is mute, and he literally goes beserk at certain effects such as this). Many autistic children tend to be drawn to water taps, and parents often bring this up in forums(they find taps turned on and left running).

My parents were always trying to stop me from ending up in the water! Haha! I was scared of deep water, but if I saw a stream.. Or a puddle on a rainy day... Oh, my feet would be in it! Hahahaha! Even today, if we have had a heavy downpour I am excited and I get my wellies and coat on and I am playing in the torrents of water heading down the lane! I LOVE streams of water like that!
But, I do find it strange that older humans don't like doing the same. I think most children like water and love splashing in puddles! I certainly did. I thought it odd if a child walked around them. I would only walk around them if I had to be somewhere with dry feet, and my shoes had leeks as I don't like wet feet in shoes and socks even though I love water.