NCAP Swim School – Not a good fit for neurodivergent kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to shell out for private lessons. a 4-1 ratio is too much time waiting.

NP. We never tried a group lesson. Instead, we shelled out $$ for a private 1:1 at our private pool. Fully disclosed ASD (Aspergers at the time). From my view on the outdoor pool deck while the lesson went on pre-opening hours, things seemed safe and fine. However, after the timeslot, instructor let me know that "it would be a waste" to take my $$ for further lessons since DS was not comfortable putting face under water, day 1 lesson. They canceled rest of summer on us. No offer to take things at DS's pace, etc. They did not care that I didn't mind paying; I just wanted him to learn swim basics, this was not in an effort to make team. Nope. We were done.

MoCo group lesson teachers are allowed to teach private lessons during the aquatic centers' off hours. We had a very good teacher who specialized in hesitant swimmers. She spent much of her time helping our child put their face under the water. With the right teacher, a 1:1 lesson is almost always better than a group lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For god's sake, that is what I meant, PP - on the wall, holding onto the wall...

So, what is your suggestion that the swim school can do? You are asking them to change the rules for one child.

I’m not asking the swim school to change the rules. The suggestion is for instructors to receive training—like those offered in programs such as the Angelfish Swim Program—that teach strategies to help neurodiverse children follow safety rules and learn how to swim.

Also, when a group includes a neurodiverse child, the instructor could have the rest of the class do a safe, simple poolside activity—like sitting by the pool and splashing their feet for younger kids or doing scissor kicks on the deck for older kids—so no one feels excluded and the class continues smoothly.

Even more, NCAP could consider adding an adaptive swim program to their class roster to better support children with different needs.

So you seriously expect the three to five paying students to do a "poolside activity" like splashing their feet because one student won't hold onto the wall?

Now instead of one upset parent there are three to five upset parents whose kids aren't able to stay in the water. I am the parent who posted previously that my kid with ADHD regularly had to sit on the deck to wait his turn because he wouldn't hold onto the wall. Instead of getting mad at the staff I absolutely supported them. I just don't get why you think it is so awful you child has to sit on the deck? It is a common thing for safety. I would rather my child do that than drown.

Sometimes feeling excluded for not following the rules isn't the worst thing. It was what it took for my son to understand to follow the rules. A lot of times he has no idea exactly what he has done wrong or what the teachers really want. A lot of life is gray area. So this is black and white and makes sense.

A. Hold onto the wall for safety reasons.
B. Don't hold onto the wall then you sit on the deck to wait your turn.

This is beneficial not just for swim classes but anytime you go to a pool or lake or ocean. So it is a fantastic time to practice this and you have the swim instructor backing you up by saying these are the rules. Your choices are:
A. Be safe in the water
B. Get out of the water

You think it should include
C. Everyone dance around and beg and plead for safe behavior from the child and if that doesn't work no one can be in the water.

You seriously keep coming up with a gazillion reasons of what OTHER people need to be doing and ZERO reasons of what your child should be doing. You aren't doing your child any favors requiring everyone to dance around and do all these things while he isn't responsible for doing his part of being safe in the water.

Water safety is different! There are no gray areas. One study reported kids with ASD are 160 times more likely to experience nonfatal or fatal drownings.

Just to clarify — the post you’re responding to wasn’t from the OP. I’m a different poster, and I was sharing my own experience ans opinions.

I totally agree that water safety is serious, and I respect that you supported the staff when your child had a hard time following the rules. But I’m not saying my child shouldn’t have to follow them. I’m saying that some kids — especially autistic ones — need more support to learn those rules in a way that actually sticks.

My concern is that punitive or exclusion-only approaches don’t really help autistic kids learn, at least not all of them, and can actually make things worse. Research shows that these kinds of consequences can lead to shutdowns or increased anxiety, especially when kids don’t have the tools yet to do it differently.

There’s also strong evidence that positive behavior supports are much more effective than simply removing a child from an activity and hoping the lesson sticks.

And honestly, I don’t think most parents would be upset if a poolside activity was part of the instruction. That kind of approach is still purposeful and keeps kids engaged. It’s a lot more constructive than just having them to wait passively.

Lastly, I’d just ask that you check the tone of your message. I understand this is a topic many of us feel strongly about, but speaking from frustration or judgment doesn’t move the conversation forward — especially when we’re all doing our best to advocate for our kids and keep them safe.

Kids are there to learn swim, not waste time of what you want for pool side activities. These are not the right classes for your kid and you need to go to private lessons or a program that offers it. You are putting other kids at risk. That is why other parents don’t agree. We are all paying for our kids to swim and we want the class as is and our sn kids manage fine in them but I’d mine couldn’t I’d pull them as I did for other sports. You don’t understand swim.

[Anonymous]

I was referring to the fact that in a 1-to-4 class, your child is spending about three-quarters of the time just waiting at the edge of the pool. To me, it would be much more engaging and productive if the kids who are waiting were asked to do some safe, structured instruction during that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was referring to the fact that in a 1-to-4 class, your child is spending about three-quarters of the time just waiting at the edge of the pool. To me, it would be much more engaging and productive if the kids who are waiting were asked to do some safe, structured instruction during that time.

The instructor had to help kid in water. If the other kids are all over the place they cannot do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to shell out for private lessons. a 4-1 ratio is too much time waiting.

NP. We never tried a group lesson. Instead, we shelled out $$ for a private 1:1 at our private pool. Fully disclosed ASD (Aspergers at the time). From my view on the outdoor pool deck while the lesson went on pre-opening hours, things seemed safe and fine. However, after the timeslot, instructor let me know that "it would be a waste" to take my $$ for further lessons since DS was not comfortable putting face under water, day 1 lesson. They canceled rest of summer on us. No offer to take things at DS's pace, etc. They did not care that I didn't mind paying; I just wanted him to learn swim basics, this was not in an effort to make team. Nope. We were done.

MoCo group lesson teachers are allowed to teach private lessons during the aquatic centers' off hours. We had a very good teacher who specialized in hesitant swimmers. She spent much of her time helping our child put their face under the water. With the right teacher, a 1:1 lesson is almost always better than a group lesson.

We did this too. They also have an adaptive program. The group lessons are best when your kid is not hesitant and can go under and it’s more technique. Also, doing the county summer swim daily is helpful vs weekly.

[Anonymous]

I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

You have to top this with most swim classes are 4-8 kids, some 12, so stopping to work on behavior for one child for a 30 minute class is unreasonable. Many of us have gone through our kids not doing well in group classes. We find adapative classes, private lessons or wait till they can better handle it or teach ourselves. Its a safety issue and these aren't OT's or ABA therapists. Many during the summer are teens or college kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was referring to the fact that in a 1-to-4 class, your child is spending about three-quarters of the time just waiting at the edge of the pool. To me, it would be much more engaging and productive if the kids who are waiting were asked to do some safe, structured instruction during that time.

What would this look like? The instructor has to focus on the child in the water, who is supervising the other three kids while they are in the water or a slippery pool deck. You keep putting it on someone else but EVERY single swim class we've done, which is many has the kids partly working as an entire group and then they rotate turns working 1-1 and the kids hold on to the wall or sit on the wall depending on how deep the pool is and other factors.

This is not the right class for your child. You need to teach them yourself and prepare them, get ABA therapist to work on behavior, do private lessons or adaptive swim. Or, if your child will not go under after many classes, put it on pause till they are able to put their head in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

Here’s a simple and effective breathing exercise to help manage anger and calm your nervous system. It can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes:

4-7-8 Breathing Technique (Anger Management Focus)

Purpose: Calms the mind, reduces anger, and slows the heart rate.

Steps:

1. Find a comfortable seated or standing position. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
2. Close your eyes if you’re comfortable doing so, or soften your gaze.
3. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for 7 seconds (if this is too long, shorten it to what’s comfortable and gradually build up).
5. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a gentle “whoosh” sound.
6. Repeat this cycle 4 times, or until you feel calmer.

Pro Tips:

• Focus your attention on your breath — not the thoughts or situation that caused the anger.
• Imagine releasing the anger and tension as you exhale.
• Do this before responding to a triggering situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

Here’s a simple and effective breathing exercise to help manage anger and calm your nervous system. It can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes:

4-7-8 Breathing Technique (Anger Management Focus)

Purpose: Calms the mind, reduces anger, and slows the heart rate.

Steps:

1. Find a comfortable seated or standing position. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
2. Close your eyes if you’re comfortable doing so, or soften your gaze.
3. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for 7 seconds (if this is too long, shorten it to what’s comfortable and gradually build up).
5. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a gentle “whoosh” sound.
6. Repeat this cycle 4 times, or until you feel calmer.

Pro Tips:

• Focus your attention on your breath — not the thoughts or situation that caused the anger.
• Imagine releasing the anger and tension as you exhale.
• Do this before responding to a triggering situation.

So, you want the instructor to stop every few minutes from teaching the class and do this technique with your child? What about the other kids and their parents needs and wishes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

Here’s a simple and effective breathing exercise to help manage anger and calm your nervous system. It can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes:

4-7-8 Breathing Technique (Anger Management Focus)

Purpose: Calms the mind, reduces anger, and slows the heart rate.

Steps:

1. Find a comfortable seated or standing position. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
2. Close your eyes if you’re comfortable doing so, or soften your gaze.
3. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for 7 seconds (if this is too long, shorten it to what’s comfortable and gradually build up).
5. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a gentle “whoosh” sound.
6. Repeat this cycle 4 times, or until you feel calmer.

Pro Tips:

• Focus your attention on your breath — not the thoughts or situation that caused the anger.
• Imagine releasing the anger and tension as you exhale.
• Do this before responding to a triggering situation.

Is this the breathing exercise that you’re doing?

Not PP. PP doesn’t seem overly angry. PP sounds like they’re in disbelief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

You have to top this with most swim classes are 4-8 kids, some 12, so stopping to work on behavior for one child for a 30 minute class is unreasonable. Many of us have gone through our kids not doing well in group classes. We find adapative classes, private lessons or wait till they can better handle it or teach ourselves. Its a safety issue and these aren't OT's or ABA therapists. Many during the summer are teens or college kids.

I understand where you're coming from, especially about the real challenges that low-wage workers and swim instructors face. But this conversation isn't about blaming individuals—it's about what swim schools, as public accommodations, are legally required to do under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

There’s clear legal precedent showing that swim programs must consider and, when reasonable, provide modifications for children with disabilities. The Department of Justice has already settled cases where swim schools and clubs failed to meet these obligations. In one case, a child with ADHD and an intellectual disability was excluded because instructors didn’t adjust their teaching pace. Another case involved a club that had no process at all for families to request accommodations.

You're right—teaching swimming to any child requires a skill set, and teaching kids with disabilities may require another. That’s why the responsibility is on the organization, not the individual instructor, to ensure those skill sets are supported and that there’s a process in place for responding to accommodation needs.

As for parents teaching their kids—many would love to, but swimming is a life-saving skill and often requires professional instruction for safety reasons. We seek out professionals precisely because it’s not easy to do ourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

You have to top this with most swim classes are 4-8 kids, some 12, so stopping to work on behavior for one child for a 30 minute class is unreasonable. Many of us have gone through our kids not doing well in group classes. We find adapative classes, private lessons or wait till they can better handle it or teach ourselves. Its a safety issue and these aren't OT's or ABA therapists. Many during the summer are teens or college kids.

I understand where you're coming from, especially about the real challenges that low-wage workers and swim instructors face. But this conversation isn't about blaming individuals—it's about what swim schools, as public accommodations, are legally required to do under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

There’s clear legal precedent showing that swim programs must consider and, when reasonable, provide modifications for children with disabilities. The Department of Justice has already settled cases where swim schools and clubs failed to meet these obligations. In one case, a child with ADHD and an intellectual disability was excluded because instructors didn’t adjust their teaching pace. Another case involved a club that had no process at all for families to request accommodations.

You're right—teaching swimming to any child requires a skill set, and teaching kids with disabilities may require another. That’s why the responsibility is on the organization, not the individual instructor, to ensure those skill sets are supported and that there’s a process in place for responding to accommodation needs.

As for parents teaching their kids—many would love to, but swimming is a life-saving skill and often requires professional instruction for safety reasons. We seek out professionals precisely because it’s not easy to do ourselves.

This is absurd. The county and the places have adaptive classes for SN. You cannot expect a company, not organization to cater to one child in a group class. Many if out kids struggle in groups and we try them pull them out for a better fit. Op was a special 1-1 class for a group price. That’s not reasonable. There are no accommodations when it comes to safety. This child needs parents and an ABA therapist to work with them on behavior and safety then try again or adaptive or private lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

You have to top this with most swim classes are 4-8 kids, some 12, so stopping to work on behavior for one child for a 30 minute class is unreasonable. Many of us have gone through our kids not doing well in group classes. We find adapative classes, private lessons or wait till they can better handle it or teach ourselves. Its a safety issue and these aren't OT's or ABA therapists. Many during the summer are teens or college kids.

I understand where you're coming from, especially about the real challenges that low-wage workers and swim instructors face. But this conversation isn't about blaming individuals—it's about what swim schools, as public accommodations, are legally required to do under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

There’s clear legal precedent showing that swim programs must consider and, when reasonable, provide modifications for children with disabilities. The Department of Justice has already settled cases where swim schools and clubs failed to meet these obligations. In one case, a child with ADHD and an intellectual disability was excluded because instructors didn’t adjust their teaching pace. Another case involved a club that had no process at all for families to request accommodations.

You're right—teaching swimming to any child requires a skill set, and teaching kids with disabilities may require another. That’s why the responsibility is on the organization, not the individual instructor, to ensure those skill sets are supported and that there’s a process in place for responding to accommodation needs.

As for parents teaching their kids—many would love to, but swimming is a life-saving skill and often requires professional instruction for safety reasons. We seek out professionals precisely because it’s not easy to do ourselves.

This is a group class they do not adjust their pace. Your kid doesn’t progress and repeats. You are absurd. Pay for private or teach yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pop up into this thread every couple days as the parent of an asd adhd teen, and I still can’t believe there are posters (more than one now!) who think there is any blame to be laid at the swim school because low wage workers weren’t able to pivot on the spot to adapt to a non disclosed disability in a safety-heightened environment. This is bonkers! Can parents really go through life with this kind of thinking? Special needs or otherwise?

To the poster who thinks it’s no big deal for swim instructors to be trained in this and be able to adapt on the spot….. if it’s sp easy to teach a sn kid to swim, why aren’t you doing it? Swim instruction takes a certain skill set. And obviously special needs teaching swim is another specific skill set. You think someone making $18 an hour at a local pool should have all these skill sets and continue to work in this crappy job? Again, if you think it’s so easy to train up on both these skills, there’s nothing stopping you the parent from teaching it. But obviously you think it requires a special skill since you’re not doing it yourself.

Moreover, this forum is infamous for saying that no two cases of autism look alike. If no two cases look alike, how the heck would a swim instructor who doesn’t specialize in special needs be able to immediately pivot to what your kid needs? In an unsafe setting at that?

I just can’t even with this thread.

You have to top this with most swim classes are 4-8 kids, some 12, so stopping to work on behavior for one child for a 30 minute class is unreasonable. Many of us have gone through our kids not doing well in group classes. We find adapative classes, private lessons or wait till they can better handle it or teach ourselves. Its a safety issue and these aren't OT's or ABA therapists. Many during the summer are teens or college kids.

I understand where you're coming from, especially about the real challenges that low-wage workers and swim instructors face. But this conversation isn't about blaming individuals—it's about what swim schools, as public accommodations, are legally required to do under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

There’s clear legal precedent showing that swim programs must consider and, when reasonable, provide modifications for children with disabilities. The Department of Justice has already settled cases where swim schools and clubs failed to meet these obligations. In one case, a child with ADHD and an intellectual disability was excluded because instructors didn’t adjust their teaching pace. Another case involved a club that had no process at all for families to request accommodations.

You're right—teaching swimming to any child requires a skill set, and teaching kids with disabilities may require another. That’s why the responsibility is on the organization, not the individual instructor, to ensure those skill sets are supported and that there’s a process in place for responding to accommodation needs.

As for parents teaching their kids—many would love to, but swimming is a life-saving skill and often requires professional instruction for safety reasons. We seek out professionals precisely because it’s not easy to do ourselves.

This is absurd. The county and the places have adaptive classes for SN. You cannot expect a company, not organization to cater to one child in a group class. Many if out kids struggle in groups and we try them pull them out for a better fit. Op was a special 1-1 class for a group price. That’s not reasonable. There are no accommodations when it comes to safety. This child needs parents and an ABA therapist to work with them on behavior and safety then try again or adaptive or private lessons.

It is not my expectation. It is the law. Title III applies to private companies. She was not asking for a 1-1 class. She was asking to discuss reasonable accommodations (she mentioned she was willing to stay by the pool to keep his son at the border).