Swimming lessons

I'd love to sign up DD for swimming lessons, but I don't know where they will take children with significant developmental delays. She just learned to be pretty much independent in the pool with her puddle-jumper on, but I'd like to get her to be able to swim by next year. She CAN learn, it just takes her a long time. Anybody have ideas?

Swimming lessons

Does your school district have a pool? I know our neighboring one does and offers lessons for children with special needs. Unfortunately that program is only for residents though, but check with your neighboring districts. Saf T Swim teaches children on the autism spectrum, so I'm sure they would teach your DD, however, I haven't heard great things in general about them, but I think that is location dependent.

Another option is to contact a place like UR Swim, they do lessons at your own pool, but if you can join a local pool and have them come there. We joined our local hotel pool, so that might be an option for you.

Swimming lessons

Try the JCC in Plainview or Roslyn/East Hills. I am looking into swim lessons there as well

Re: Swimming lessons

Check the Great South Bay YMCA in Bay Shore-specifically the Catfish swim class. It's a special needs swim class with 1:1 instruction. It's held Monday and Wednesday nights and is excellent.

Re: Swimming lessons

We do swimming at the jcc in commack through head over heals physical therapy. Jared our pt is amazing- we have been doing it weekly for a year and. have seen a huge improvement. When we started my ds was ok with the puddle jumper- he had a hard time keeping his head out f water. Now he uses a bubble just on his back. My ds has cerebral palsy so all of his motor skills are severely delayed. He loves mr. Jared and is always smiling in the pool. In the beginning we were able to get it covered through insurance but not anymore. You don't have to be a member of the jcc since it's thought the pt agency. I definitely think he will learn to swim independently in the near future.

We tried safety swim but all my ds cried the entire time and he usually loves the pool.

Re: Swimming lessons

My son has Autism, and Safe T Swim is great!!!!!
You just have to get the right instructor

Message edited 9/7/2014 2:45:29 PM.

Re: Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons

Where are you located? Sachem swim club is offering a class for all ages - special needs. Kids just need room be potty trained. Wanted to take my son but he isn't potty trained.

Re: Swimming lessons

Re: Swimming lessons

We did Saf-T-Swim for a little over 2 years. What I will tell you is that Saf-T-Swim is ALL about the instructor. We had a great experience there, but I know other parents have not. I have seen parents sitting next to me in the viewing room, pissed about what the instructors are doing and know they won't be back.

We lucked out with our first instructor, who was fantasic with my son. He told me a few weeks before the summer that he would be leaving to take a lifeguarding job (we started in Jan or Feb.) I started watching all the instructors with their students and went in and asked one what her name was. I requested her and even took the summer off since she had no openings until October. DS had her for about a year and a half and she was awesome with him. But the few times she was out, I was not always happy with the substitutes. I even went in once to tell one girl she needed to pay more attention to what he was doing and I am not a helicopter mom. She was talking too much to the other instructors and not watching him closely enough.

The lessons there are not cheap, but are cheaper if you book a bunch in advance. If you are interested in going there, I would sign up for one session and see if there is an instructor on the day you go that will be good for your DD. I would mention she has special needs, lots of special needs kids go there and I have seen some instructors who were really great with SN kids. I did look into the swim school in Garden City, but they couldn't guarantee me 1:1 until after we signed up for a small group class and they decided he needed it. There were also fewer timeslots available to me there, since I work FT, and if he did end up doing 1:1, the cost was pretty much the same.

ETA: my DS also has a problem with crying, so at times, he would have a hard time with one or two of the kids whe would cry a lot. We ended up switching time slots once because the child never really stopped crying after a few weeks.

Message edited 9/11/2014 11:11:06 AM.

Re: Swimming lessons

Re: Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons

This is the info for the Sachem Swim Lessons. I received this via email from Long Island ECDC.


SWIM LESSONS/WATER SAFETY
for
CHILDREN with SPECIAL NEEDS!
For all ages and abilities

Starting October 9th every Thursday in October Sachem Swim Club will offer swim lessons for those children with special needs. Adult 18 & older must go in the water with the child. This is for all abilities. It will be held at Sachem North Pool from 8:00-8:30pm. If interested in joining, please come down to Sachem North High School on WEDNESDAY Oct 1ST for your free introductory class and sign up for the next 4 classes. The cost of the 5 classes is $75.
(Child must be potty trained)


If you have any questions please email [email protected]
or call Carrie Marone 516-330-5927

Re: Swimming lessons