Children with special needs can swim, tumble, and build social skills at the Downtown Berkeley YMCA. "One of the biggest things we do is to fill the gap where there's not the needed support," says Rachel Longan, who coordinates the programs. "We're providing a safe place where kids can make friends, an alternative community to the schools."
Choices include the Swim and Gym Inclusion Program for 2-4 year olds, Play Pals for ages 5-11, adapted swim lessons for kids 6-8, and a Special Needs Kids Night Out, also known as date night for parents.
At Swim and Gym, toddlers and preschoolers develop swimming and tumbling skills. An occupational therapist helps with sensory integration issues and shares techniques for holding children. After these activities, Longan leads a support group for parents while kids are supervised by Y staff. Longan has even set up an online support group to keep parents connected and informed.
Play Pals offers creative movement, tumbling, and social and conversational skills for elementary-age children. Longan runs a support group for their parents as well.
Adapted swim lessons offer a 3:1 ratio of children to staff, and are taught by instructors trained to work with kids who have special needs.
Kids Night Out means an evening out for parents too. Kids enjoy pizza, snacks, and the chance to play in the gym and interactive zone and paddle in the shallow pool. The child to staff ratio is 3:1, with activities from 5:30 until 9:00 pm.
Costs for these programs vary, but most offer a sliding scale. For more info or to register, call Rachel Longan at 665-3280 or send an email to rlongan@baymca.org. If your child needs more supervision than is offered, ask about additional staffing. For more information, visit the Bay Area YMCA website.
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