Children in Yeovil with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can benefit from free swimming sessions.
Local support group SENShine and Water Babies have teamed up to offer free swimming sessions tailored for children with SEND.
Water Babies, a prominent swim school in the UK, will provide these sessions at the hydrotherapy pool at Fiveways School in Yeovil.
The sessions, aimed at increasing water confidence, will be conducted by Julie, a Water Babies teacher and mother of a child needing additional support.
These 'party in the pool' sessions, scheduled for October, are designed to help children feel comfortable in the water and to encourage parents and carers to practice swimming techniques in a supportive environment.
The hydrotherapy pool's warmth is particularly beneficial for children with sensory barriers.
Recent data shows that accidental drowning deaths among children in the UK have doubled since 2019–20, with 41 reported in 2022–23 alone.
Water Babies swimming instructors adapt their sessions for children with SEND by using signing, visuals, extra demonstrations, providing activity options, altering lesson pace, offering alternative flotation equipment, providing sensory toys, and whispering songs to reduce noise.
Water Babies teaches over 1,500 children in the South West weekly, including many with SEND.
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