THE founder of a specialist swim school has purchased a pool in Werribee to help children with autism and special needs learn a lifesaving skill.
Swim 4 All’s Natalie Clarke this week launched a new program at a pool in Merchants Court, extending the school’s reach from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Ms Clarke said children on the autism spectrum were drawn to bodies of water, so learning to swim was critically important.
“Children on the autism spectrum will hop into any body of water, so it’s really important they have those skills.
‘‘It’s also something that’s fun and something the children are physically able to do.”
Ms Clarke, who swam competitively at a national level in her teens, devised the program after her son Bailey, now 14, was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome.
Parents at support groups reported there was nowhere their children could learn to swim. “I started a Sunday swim program at a pool I hired,’’ Ms Clarke said, ‘‘then people heard about it and it flowed along from there … not just people with autism, but Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and many others. Cerebral palsy kids can learn to walk in the water and can then transfer that skill to land. It’s pretty amazing; their parents are crying with happiness.”
Ms Clarke previously taught mainstream swim lessons, but her new program had turned “a great job into something extremely rewarding”.
“We invite any child with a disability to come for a free lesson and we can assess their ability, what teacher would be best suited to their needs, then [start] a term of private lessons.”
Jonathan Clark, whose child has global dyspraxia, praised the Swim 4 All program. “The lessons for siblings are held at the same time. It means we can be together. It’s given us back the weekend.”
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