FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – The Franklin County YMCA is making sure people of all abilities have a chance to dive into safe swimming practices.
“They’re wanting the same thing everybody does. They want to get in, they want to have fun, and the water is kind of a good equalizer,” Aquatics Director Kameron Kitts said.
Day in and day out, Kameron Kitts can be found teaching children how to swim, like the group of elementary school students there on Wednesday.
But some days, he’s focused on something he says is close to his heart—working with the adaptive swim program.
He tells us the program is designed for people with neurological differences, like autism, or physical disabilities.
“Disabilities that require a little bit more attention in the water that they wouldn’t normally be able to be necessarily included in a regular swim class,” Kitts said.
The National Autism Association says children with autism are 160 times as likely to die from drowning, as neurotypical children.
It’s one of the reasons CEO Kevin McAlexander tells us, they’re making a push to get the word out.
“There’s nothing better than seeing that confidence grow from day one to day 15, and just seeing them kind of grow into themselves. If that’s not the most rewarding thing, I don’t know what is,” McAlexander said.
The lessons are typically on a one-on-one basis, to give each student the time and attention they need.
“It’s not always going to be the one size fits all mold there. You’ve got to really work at whatever they’re wanting to do at that point,” Kitts said.
While Kitts works with kids of all abilities - he says there’s something special about seeing the children in the adaptive program thrive.
“You see kids that are bound to a wheelchair for the whole day. And then they can get in the water, and now they’re 100% independent and they can move around on their own and do what they want to do, without any kid of apparatus or anybody else helping them out,” Kitts said.
If you want to be a part of the adaptive program - all you have to do is ask. The YMCA tells us they can work out lessons any time of year.
You can also inquire about lessons here.
