Special Needs Swim Lessons

WILKES-BARRE, PA (Wednesday, February 12) – The Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA now has three special needs swim instructors certified at Level 1 and two instructors certified at Level 2 by the Swim Angelfish Adaptive Swim Whisperers program.

”With five certified special needs swim instructors on staff, the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA and Greater Pittston YMCA are well positioned to help the local community save lives and help all children have fun and get exercise in the water,” said Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA Senior Director of Programming, Megan Welch.

Drowning is a leading cause of death among children with autism and researchers recommend swimming classes for children diagnosed with autism. Swimming can also provide fun, safe exercise for children with mobility challenges, with water providing both buoyancy and resistance.

Level 1 of the Angelfish Adaptive Swim Whisperers program identifies the 14 most common Roadblocks with 11 areas of focus. Instructors are trained in adaptive strategies to identify and overcome common roadblocks when working with special needs swimmers. These techniques empower children with special needs to thrive in the water. Level 2 is a deeper dive into swim progressions, adding to an instructor’s existing toolbox to enhance lessons for special needs swimmers.

The Adaptive Swim Whisperers is a multi-level certification program is designed to facilitate swim success for children with special needs. Instructors are experienced in assessing and identifying roadblocks and can apply the correct strategy to overcome them. Adaptive Swim Whisperer instructors are able to help children with special needs achieve their swim goals faster and more comfortably. These techniques are proven to work for students with Autism, ADHD, Anxiety and other disabilities, including mobility challenges.

Aquatics Coordinator Sam Reinhardt recently returned from attending the Association of Aquatics Professionals Conference, where she participated in additional training and met other special needs swim instructors.

“I’ve been practicing in aquatics for over 10 years,” Reinhardt said. “I’ve done special health care needs swim for over three years and I’m still learning new techniques to support kids and introduce them to the joy of swimming.”

One of the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA’s Level 2 instructors, Reinhardt is bringing several ideas home with her to improve programs at the Wilkes-Barre Family and Greater Pittston YMCAs.

The GWVA YMCA is offering free individual half-hour private swim lessons, as well as free group swim lessons for organizations and schools serving special needs children. These lessons are supported through a partnership with SAFE (Supporting Autism and Families Everywhere) and a grant from the City of Wilkes-Barre Health Department.

Anyone looking for more information on the program can contact Reinhardt at [email protected]. To learn more about Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA programs, visit: wvymca.org.