SwimAbility program for children with special needs makes ‘tremendous’ difference

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This article was published 23/12/2016 (3356 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shaun Cameron said his son went from having a fear of water to being comfortable in the pool, thanks to the dedicated volunteers of Manitoba SwimAbility.

The Brandon chapter, formerly known as Making Waves, provides one-on-one instruction to children with special needs.

Cameron said it was a “night and day difference” for his son Riley, 8.

“My son has (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), so focus can be a little bit tough for him at times,” Cameron said. When he tried regular swimming lessons, the classes were too big.

“Long story short, he went under, and he was pretty fearful of the water to begin with, and that was pretty much a nail in the coffin.”

Once the Camerons heard about the SwimAbility program, they thought it would be a good opportunity to get Riley back into the water.

“We’re a water family, we boat in the summer and all that sort of stuff, and to me, swimming is a life skill,” Cameron said. “He went from basically being a rock, for lack of a better term, to being able to swim and to float. It’s been tremendous, the change in him and his ability.”

The Brandon chapter launched in April 2015 with 30 swimmers. In January, the program will offer its sixth session with approximately 65 swimmers at the Brandon Sportsplex. The age range is just over a year to 18 years old.

The program assists children with a wide range of physical and intellectual disabilities, including autism, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. The children have a range of unique capabilities with different levels of functioning.

“Swimming especially we find is just so calming for kids with autism,” said Madelyn Flood, director of Manitoba SwimAbility’s Brandon Chapter. “It’s a nice sensory activity for them. We definitely have a lot of children with cerebral palsy and other physical challenges, so the water is just really good therapy for them too, in strengthening their muscles.”

Flood launched the Brandon chapter after volunteering with the program in Winnipeg while attending the University of Manitoba. She is now a Brandon University education student, slated to graduate in May. The program became Manitoba SwimAbility in April 2016, as part of a national name change; however, the program remains the same.

The one-on-one instruction is an important aspect of the program, as the volunteers and children build trust and consistency over the sessions.

“They’re able to build that relationship with their instructor,” Flood said. “We have enough volunteers that some kids can have two instructors which is a huge help a lot of the time too.”

Water safety is an important life skill, Flood added, and children with special needs have a greater risk for drowning-related incidents.

“A lot of the families go camping during the summer, the farming area that we live in — kids are outside, there’s open water,” she said.

One of the main goals of the program is to keep the costs affordable for all families.

“Many of the families that have children with exceptionalities, they have a lot of other medical costs that come along with their challenges,” she said.

The sessions are offered in 10-week blocks, with half an hour lessons every week. The family pays just $20 for the entire session.

The whole program is run by volunteers — everything from organizing and scheduling to instruction. Volunteers also take time to apply for grants to help supplement their costs.

“It’s definitely a lot of work … but just seeing the kids every week, and meeting the families, getting to know them — it’s really inspiring,” Flood said.

“I watch them come to the pool and some of them are so scared to come in the water, and then after a few weeks, they’re in there, swimming laps and jumping in.”

The Brandon chapter has held small fundraisers over the past few years, as they spread the word about the program. They are planning their first major fundraiser, the Manitoba SwimAbility Curling Funspiel to be held on Feb. 11 at Riverview Curling Club.

“Our spots for our teams are almost full, we do have a little bit of space left,” Flood said. “We are still looking for sponsors or any donations that could be used for raffle prizes during the day.”

Team registration costs $160 for a team of four to play three games followed by a dinner. A social will happen in the evening — tickets are $10. Flood said the public is invited to watch the bonspiel and can buy a ticket for dinner.

For tickets, call 204-841-4721 or email brandon@swimability.org. For more information, visit manitobaswimability.com.

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