Special Needs Swim Lessons

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.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

If you aren't happy with your lessons at any time for any reason, we will make it right!

What we do:

What we don't do:

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)

August 26 – December 12

Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday: 3:45pm – 6:45pm at La Quinta Inn (7534 Conner Road Knoxville, TN)

Coming soon!

During the summer, we use residential host pools in West Knoxville and Farragut. Can’t wait to see you there!

Interested in becoming a host pool? You get free lessons! In exchange, you allow us to bring other people to your pool. Lear more HERE.

Recommendations

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 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!

Our recommendations generally revolve around your family’s goals. Do you have a trip coming up that you want your kids to be ready for? Then you should book lessons as frequently as possible, even every day if you can. Do you want your kids to swim a year from now? Once a week will do just fine.

As you can guess, the more frequently you take lessons, the faster they will improve.

We HIGHLY recommend children 8 and under book 15 minute lessons until they are a level 4. Once they reach level 4, we don’t have a preference either way. 

Students over 8 years old or level 4 and up can handle 30 minute, although 15 minutes works great too!

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. A 30 minute lesson obviously costs more than a 15 minute lesson, but we are here to serve you how you think is best for your family.

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

Try Us Out

For Fall and Spring Lessons
FREE For one 15 min lesson per student
  • Top-notch Instruction
  • One-on-one Private Lessons
  • No Registration Fees
  • Flexible Scheduling
  • Satisfaction Guaranteed
FREE!

16 Lessons

For Fall and Spring Lessons
$ 39
48
Per 15 mins
  • Top-notch Instruction
  • One-on-one Private Lessons
  • No Registration Fees
  • Flexible Scheduling
  • Satisfaction Guaranteed
16% Off

8 Lessons

For Fall and Spring Lessons
$ 43
24
Per 15 mins
  • Top-notch Instruction
  • One-on-one Private Lessons
  • No Registration Fees
  • Flexible Scheduling
  • Satisfaction Guaranteed
8% Off

Single Lesson

For Fall and Spring Lessons
$ 47
00
Per 15 mins
  • Top-notch Instruction
  • One-on-one Private Lessons
  • No Registration Fees
  • Book On Your Schedule
  • Satisfaction Guaranteed

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 oriented model. The family oriented model is a way of teaching swim lessons and water safety that incorporates the whole family. There are two aspects of the family oriented model:

Family Involved Swim Lessons

Water Safety for the Whole Family