Swim Lessons for Autistic Kids
See also: Summer Programs for Autism Spectrum Kids ... Advice about Autism ... Swim Lessons for Kids
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Swim class for high functioning autistic 5-year-old
Oct 2013
Hey there, I have a 5 year old boy with autism who is very hesitant about swimming/getting in the pool/physical activity in general. I was looking for someplace that has either specific special needs classes or someone who is just good with that population. The Berkely Y classes just don't work for our schedule at this point, but they're the only place we've been able to find that specifically mentions special needs. Any feedback much appreciated!
this response is for you as well as the one following you re swim classes- Albany Unified School District pool! My daughter is on the spectrum and has some palsy issues and she did 3 semesters of private lessons at the beautiful City of Albany pool and loved it. There were a LOT of other neuroatypical kids there having private lessons and the instructors are all skilled and friendly. The locker room is immaculate and there is free and plentiful parking. Rates for nonresidents are a bit higher but still very reasonable, and I found everyone at this brand new facility to be really kind and helpful. My daughter is now water-safe, and I was not stressed out by the lack of parking, unhelpful employees, and running the homeless gauntlet that typifies my previous experiences at the Berkeley Y. I'll never go the the Berkeley Y again
April 2009
Re: Swim teacher to come to our house
Hi I just wanted to put in a good word for two wonderful special needs swimming instructors, Derrick Hensman and Alon Altman. They have taught my autistic son at the Berkeley High Warm Pool for many months now and he has made terrific progress swimming and he absolutely LOVES to go. Both the instructors are really patient, calm, and understand kids with sensory issues and limited verbal abilities. Derrick's email is swimdivesail [at] gmail.com. Alon's email is noo_shoin [at] yahoo.com Mary
My son's regular swim teacher had a substitute last week. My son really liked him. I don't know if he's amenable to coming to your house, but I do know he's looking for instruction opportunities (he sent an email around asking us for recommendations). His information is: Derrick Hensman 510-296-5069 swimdivesail [at] gmail.com Qualifications: 15 years as a swim instructor for children 6 months of age and older; 15 years of teaching adults and seniors; 7 years of teaching developmentally challenged individuals (i.e. Autism and Down Syndrome); Certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI); Lifeguard; First Aid and CPR certified. Karen
May 2008
Re: Swim lessons for 5-y-o with selective mutism
My children have been taking private lessons at AquaTech Swim School in Alameda since the beginning of March and they both love it. Recently, a boy with autism has started lessons at the same time we are there and I've been very impressed with the way the teacher (Adrienne) interacts with him and his progress. Family members have gotten in the pool with him, so I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem. I would definitely contact them to discuss your grandson's situation. It's quite possible they could arrange lessons with a different teacher for your granddaughters at the same time. Here's the contact information: http://www.aquatechswimschool.com/ Phone number is: (510) 337-0200 Happy Swim Mom
My son is 10 years old with HF ASD and SPD and sounds similar to your daughter as far as what works best. We did private swim lessons with a teacher in Lafayette in 2022. She was great with him, but a bit pricey. I can give you her contact info if you’re interested, but not sure if she’s still teaching. We recently did private swim lessons through Alameda’s rec program at Encinal High. There were two teachers that were awesome (patient, kind, etc) but most were just okay.
I actually found my son’s martial arts class here on BPN searching for an ASD friendly school. Pallen’s Martial Arts in San Leandro was recommended and they are amazing! This was the only extra curricular activity that he has wanted to stick with and he’s tried nearly every sport/activity you can think of. They teach everyone to be respectful and kind of one another and the classes are fun for the kids. One of the instructors took some classes on how to work with kids with ASD and he’s been awesome with my son. All the things you mentioned- quiet environment, outdoor, etc were things my son needed as well, but overtime he’s adapted to the environment and is thriving! He’s now a green belt with a goal of becoming a black belt. He’s gone further than we could ever imagine! Feel free to email me with questions.
Have you checked out https://snapkids.org/? We tried lessons at the YMCA and elsewhere for our Autistic son and it didn't go so well. The nice thing about SNAPkids is they can go at their own pace and are paired with their own volunteer or sometimes my son had three volunteers with him. I'm just glad that he has fun with them and is slowly getting more comfortable. We went on days when the program was at the Albany pool. For noise levels, it's hard to say if it would work. You could probably show up one time without your child and see what you think. There is natural lighting and it's pretty dark in there.