Children with disabilities are often at higher risk of drowning, particularly in Florida. Fort Myers swimming lessons can go a long way toward reducing that risk.

A few local Fort Myers swimming lessons providers that may be helpful resources for our FOCUS families:

ISR Fort Myers. This is a survival swim course that teaches babies as young as 6 months how to survive for those crucial few minutes if they fall into a pool unsupervised.

Swimtastic Fort Myers. Hosted at a local gym, these Fort Myers swimming lessons include an Adapted Aquatics program that takes into account each child’s physical developmental abilities. Instructors have experience with children with a broad range of conditions, including autism, down syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy, sensory integration difficulty, and other physical challenges. They also have a Therapeutic Aquatic Program to help children who have muscular or limb challenges or those who struggle with head control.

Sunsational Swim School. Private swim instructions that can take place at your own pool. Some instructors are specifically trained to provide swim instruction for kids with special needs.

YMCA of South Florida. The YMCA has a year-round Swim Buddies program for children with disabilities ages 4 and older. Swimmers get matched with a qualified “swim buddy” volunteer, who works with them on basic swim safety skills – including getting used to being in the water, drowning prevention, and fundamental swimming techniques.

InstaSwim. This is another at-home, private swimming lesson instruction, which can be tailored specifically to assist the varying needs of children with special needs. Instructors have worked with children who have autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, sensory integration disorder, and physical difficulties.

Florida Swim Company. This provider has swim instructors in both Naples and Fort Myers, who will come to your home or community pool to teach a customized swim class.

Note: This list may not be exhaustive! We hope it gives our FOCUS Families somewhere to start on their search for Fort Myers swimming lessons for their children.

Our ultimate goal as therapists is to ensure nothing is holding these kids back in life. Learning to swim is part of that! So even though we don’t provide swimming lessons directly, we’re happy to give parents helpful information to get them started as they look for the services needed to ensure their child learns the skills necessary to stay safe and thrive.

FOCUS Therapy offers ABA therapy, ADOS testing, speech therapy, and occupational therapy to children in Lee County, Florida.

Additional Resources:

Association Between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood, 2009, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Swim and Water Safety, September 2018, Autism Speaks

More Blog Entries:

Water Safety Tips for Florida Kids With Special Needs, June 15, 2024, Fort Myers Occupational Therapy Blog