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Special Needs Swim Lessons in Knoxville, TN
The American Red Cross notes that “children with autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to experience nonfatal and fatal drowning than their typically developing peers.” We know it can be hard to find the right people to work with children with special needs. Don’t worry, you’ve found them right here! Our curriculum was developed by a Special Educator who knows how to adapt all of our skills for any type of disability. Take special needs swim lessons with us in Knoxville, TN so your child can learn to swim at their own pace.
What swimming skills can a person with special needs acquire?
As you can imagine, this is very dependent on the student and their disability. We have had students with autism who are pre-verbal and non-verbal that could swim all the way across the pool. We have had students with cerebral palsy learn to swim in an adapted manner. We continue to learn and grow as we teach more students with disabilities so we can best serve everyone!
How long will it take some with disabilities to learn to swim?
That is a very broad question and depends on the student’s age, previous experience, how quickly they learn, and what exactly you mean by “learn to swim.” We prefer to think in terms of milestones. Acquiring swimming skills is only possible with consistent swim lessons and practice time throughout the year.
We train our instructors to assume the child can do everything, then work backwards from there. We do not limit a student’s potential in any way. Working closely with parents is key in assessing progress to adapt their swim lessons as needed and only as needed. You never know what a child can do in the water!
How do you adapt your swim lessons for people with special needs?
This may sound strange to say, but we don’t need to very much! Our curriculum has built-in flexibility. It isn’t as important what the skill looks like when performed. What really matters is if they can do it!
Some of the ways we have adapted our special needs swim lessons are shorter intervals, more demonstrations, utilizing motivators, changing tone and volume of voice, using “first, then” and similar language, and many more.
12-Month Zero-Regret Guarantee
Not thrilled? We’ll refund 100% of what you paid for all lessons taken in the 12 months prior to your refund request
What we do:
- 15 minute private swim lessons for each student, your choice
- One-on-one swim lessons to give you the most personalized experience
- Freedom to schedule any time slots we have available, no matter the level of the student
- One trip for all your kids with back-to-back lessons
- Take the student at whatever skill level they are and progress them as quickly as possible
- Train our instructors with extensive classroom and in-water training along with in-service training throughout the year
- Only hire adult instructors that are 18 or older
- The best guarantee in town
What we don't do:
- Group classes, where students get little practice and little personalized instruction
- Force you into a subscription of lessons that lasts forever
- Make you reschedule once your student masters certain skills
- Place your kids in different classes on different days
- Put people into the swim instructor role with zero training
- Keep your money when you are sick, injured, or have a family emergency
- Require you to cancel your lessons weeks in advance
Pool Locations & Schedule
– Residential pools located within 5 minutes of the listed location
– Exact addresses will be sent 1 week prior to first lesson to maintain privacy for homeowners
8:45am – 4:30pm Monday – Friday
List A
Numbers indicate same location for clarity
May 27-31: Trinity Learning Center (heated)
June 3-7: Trinity Learning Center (heated)
June 10-14: Craven Wings Choto (heated)
June 17-21: Bluegrass Elementary (heated)
June 24-28: Craven Wings Choto (heated)
July 4 Week: OFF
July 8-12: Halls Elementary
July 15-19: A L Lotts Elementary
July 22-26: West Hills Elementary (3)
July 29-Aug 2: A L Lotts Elementary
List B
Numbers indicate same location for clarity
May 27-31: Bluegrass Elementary (heated)
June 3-7: Duncan Boat Dock (heated)
June 10-14: Duncan Boat Dock (heated)
June 17-21: Duncan Boat Dock (heated)
June 24-28: West Hills Elementary (1)
July 4 Week: OFF
July 8-12: West Hills Elementary (1)
July 15-19: West Hills Elementary (2)
July 22-26: West Hills Elementary (2)
July 29-Aug 2: West Hills Elementary (3)
Locations:
– Embassy Suites (Cedar Bluff) 9621 Parkside Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37922
Hours:
Mon/Wed/Fri 8:35am – 10:55am
Mon-Thurs 3:00pm – 6:50pm
Fall Term #1 (Aug 17 – Oct 2: 7 weeks)
Enrollment opens 8/7, closes 8/23
Drop-ins (Aug 17 – Oct 2: 7 weeks)
Enrollment opens 8/16
Locations:
– Embassy Suites (Cedar Bluff) 9621 Parkside Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37922
Schedule TBD
Pricing
Evaluation
Find your starting point! $
0 Get started for free!
- Thorough analysis of skills
- Intro to water safety
- FREE gifts for your family
- Discussion about next steps
FREE!
Fall Term 1
Once a week for the term $
43 Starting at, Per 15 min slot
- Unlimited Sickness Rescheduling
- 1 No-Show Reschedule
- 5 Lesson Check-in
- 12-Month Zero-Regret Guarantee
- Sibling Discount
- Next Term Discount
- Split Payment Option
Drop-ins
Book as you go $
51 Per 15 min slot
- Unlimited Sickness Rescheduling
- 5 Lesson Check-in
- Book Any Open Slots
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Curriculum
– Beginner with little to no swimming experience
– (Ages 3+) Will NOT willingly and independently put their entire face in the water for 5 seconds
– (Ages 1 – 2) Will NOT willingly fully submerge just under surface of water for 5 seconds while being held
– Has not learned to make independent forward progress in the water
– Beginner with little to no swimming experience
– (Ages 3+) Will NOT willingly and independently put their eyes, nose, and mouth simultaneously in the water for 3 seconds
– (Ages 1 – 2) Will NOT willingly fully submerge just under surface of water for 3 seconds while being held
– Has not learned to make independent forward progress in the water
Goal of Level 1: Eyes, nose, and mouth in the water simultaneously for 3 seconds
Other skills:
– Water Safety
– Proper kicking technique
– Assisted swimming
– Jumping in
– Entering and exiting pool
– Back floating
– Beginner with little to no swimming experience
– (Ages 3+) WILL willingly and independently put their eyes, nose, and mouth simultaneously in the water for 3 seconds
– (Ages 1 – 2) WILL willingly fully submerge just under surface of water for 3 seconds while being held
– Has not learned to make independent forward progress in the water
Goal of Level 2: Make independent forward progress for 5 seconds
Other skills:
– Water Safety
– Proper kicking technique
– Jumping in, turn, and grab wall
– Entering and exiting pool
– Back float
– Swimming on back
Already able to do the following:
– Make independent forward progress with face in the water for 5 seconds
Goal of Level 3: Swim 7 yards with “pop-up” breaths or “roll over” breaths AND perform Fall-In sequence (jump in, turn, get to wall, exit) (no goggles, unless needed for important reason)
Other skills:
– Water Safety
– Proper kicking technique
– Swimming without goggles
– Swimming on back
– Retrieve toy from shallow end (depending on student)
– 4 swimming strokes (depending on student)
Already able to do the following:
– Swim 7 yards with “pop-up” breaths or “roll over” breaths
– Perform Fall-In sequence (jump in, turn, get to wall)
Goal Level 4: Deep end swim test- jump in, swim 20 yards on stomach, tread water 1 min, float on back for 1 min, swim 5 yards to wall and exit (no goggles, unless needed for important reason)
Other skills:
– Water Safety
– Back swimming
– 4 swimming strokes
– Retrieve toy from deep end
– Swimming without goggles
Already able to do the following:
– Deep end safety test- jump in, swim 20 yards on stomach, tread water 1 min, float on back for 1 min, swim 5 yards to wall and exit
Goal: Swim 25 yards at a beginner level of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, side stroke and elementary backstroke AND retrieve toy off bottom of deep end AND swim 100 yards freestyle side-breathing
Other skills:
– Water Safety
Already able to do the following:
Swim 25 yards at a beginner level of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, side stroke and elementary backstroke AND retrieve toy off bottom of deep end AND swim 100 yards freestyle side-breathing
Goal: Technique and Stroke Refinement
Other skills:
– Water Safety
FAQ (see more here)
Coming soon!
Think about a group class. There are 3 to 6 students in a class. How much attention are they really getting from their instructor? How much practice time is really possible in a 30 minute group class?
Not much, which is why we offer 15 minute private lessons. They will get more attention and practice time in their 15 minute private lesson than they ever will in a group class that lasts 30 minutes.
If you still don’t believe that 15 minutes will work for you, check out our reviews on Google and Facebook!
What we recommend for frequency of lessons is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1- Once a week during the fall
2- Twice a week during the spring
3- Three weeks (15 days) during the summer
We have found this to be the most effective pacing in helping students learn to swim.
14 days or more before your lesson, you may choose one of the following:
– Full refund
– Lesson credit
– Reschedule
2-13 days before your lesson, you may choose one of the following:
– Lesson credit
– Reschedule
Within 48 hours of your lesson:
– Lesson credit is available only for illness, injury, or a family emergency. Refunds, reschedules, and credits are not available for any other reason.
No-Show Policy
If you miss a lesson for any reason other than illness, injury, or a family emergency, it will be considered a no-show. Each student receives one (1) no-show reschedule per term. After your no-show reschedule has been used, any future no-shows will be forfeited within that term. If you arrive late, you may take the lesson for the remaining scheduled time or use your no-show reschedule. If you choose not to take the remaining lesson time, a lesson credit will be issued only if your no-show reschedule is still available. No-show reschedules are not useable for drop-ins.
12 Month Zero Regret Guarantee
This guarantee applies only to term-based lessons. Drop-ins and packages are not eligible.
To qualify:
– You must be continuously enrolled in terms with no seasons skipped. If you skip a season, your eligibility restarts with your next enrolled term. For example, if you skip Fall Term 2, your continuous enrollment restarts at Spring Term 1.
– Fall and Spring terms: you may miss no more than 2 lessons per term.
– Summer term: you must be enrolled in all 3 weeks of summer terms, and may miss no more than 1 lesson per week.
Any missed lesson counts toward these limits, regardless of the reason for the absence.
If you meet the requirements above, you may request a full refund of everything you’ve paid for lessons since your current continuous enrollment streak began, up to a maximum of the most recent 12 months. Your request must be made within 30 days of your last lesson.
Cancellations by All Knox Swim
If All Knox Swim cancels more than one-third (1/3) of a lesson for any reason, including weather or pool closures, you will receive a service credit valid for one (1) year from the date it is issued.
Lesson Credits
All lesson credits expire one (1) year from the date they are issued.
Product Returns
If you are not satisfied with a product, you may return it within 30 days of purchase for either receive a full refund or an exchange.
You will receive a coupon for 5% off for each term that follows the term you are currently enrolled. If you skip a term, you will not receive a discount code for the term upon returning.
For a small fee, you can split the term into two equal payments with the first payment due today and the second payment due in 30 days.
Register your account today to sign up for swim lessons!
Our Teaching Philosophy
The All Knox Swim Teaching Philosophy is what we call the Family Centered Model. The Family Centered Model is a way of teaching swim lessons and water safety that incorporates the whole family. There are two aspects of the Family Centered Model:
Family Involved Swim Lessons
- We gather lots of information on your registration, such as how much you want us to "push" your student, because you know what your child needs better than anyone
- Parents stay in the pool area the entire lesson
- Parents of infants and toddlers get in the water with the student until they can hold their breath for 3 seconds
- We teach private lessons so we have time to get your input before, during, and after your lessons.
Water Safety for the Whole Family
- We do role playing during swim lessons to practice water safety
- We share water safety information with families through many avenues, including our website
- You can ask us questions about water safety at any time
- We teach private lessons to allow the most time possible for personalized water safety instruction
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