Swim lessons

A couple of months ago I found a swim program for the eight year old.  She has done public lessons but with the left sided hemiplegia she has made little progress other than confidence in the water which really wasn't an issue to begin with.

Group lessons have not worked for any of my "higher" kids.  There is just no way they have stood a chance with the limited amount of time each child gets from the instructor on top of their special needs.  In the end what happens no matter how much effort they put in they don't end up with the card that says they have graduated to the next level and the older they get it wears on their self esteem.

There have been other swim programs over the years with the different organizations we have been involved with but none that offer lessons.  All I have ever wanted was for the kids to be given the skills that kept them safe in the water.  I'm not looking for pass/fail.

A couple of months ago I was fortunate enough to hear about a swim class specific to kids with disabilities that would offer instruction.  The main instructor is a background in kinesiology and then there is a volunteer for each swimmer.  We finished the first set of lessons and I couldn't say enough great things about them.

I learned something brilliant as well.  I noticed that the majority of the lesson was spent with the eight year old on her back.  She still can't propel herself forward in the water so saving herself would still be unlikely but improvements have been made.  The purpose of all of the back time is safety.  If for example she fell in the water or came off a water slide and couldn't swim to the edge such as happened last summer she could roll onto her back and float until help came.  Brilliant right?!