In yet another effort to help babies and toddlers in early intervention (EI) services learn and grow, Northeast Arc is offering them access to swim lessons.
The Saving Lives Swim Program launched over the summer, helping children acclimate to the water, and helping parents learn about the importance of supervision for drowning prevention. Northeast Arc has partnered with the YMCA of the North Shore, YMCA of Metro North, and JCC of the North Shore to offer the lessons to eligible EI participants.
“We’ve worked with these organizations for many, many years, but this program is new,” said Anne Dolan, Division Director of Early Intervention Services. “In talking about the instances of children drowning — specifically those with disabilities, and autism in particular — the stats are way too high. We wanted to come up with a way to do something, and it’s so great for cost not to be a barrier.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. The risk is greatest among children with autism. According to a 2017 study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their neurotypical peers.
Northeast Arc is covering the costs of all swim lessons through the Changing Lives Fund, which was established in 2017 through a gift from Marblehead philanthropist Steven P. Rosenthal.
“When I created the Changing Lives Fund, I wanted it to be used to support innovative ideas that would expand Northeast Arc’s reach while meeting critical needs in our communities. The Saving Lives Swim Program does just that, and I’m thrilled that it will help make swimming safer and more accessible to young children and their families,” said Rosenthal.
Through the program, all children 6 months or older who have a signed plan in Northeast Arc’s EI program are eligible for one session of lessons. Dolan says the division works with nearly 900 families ages 0-3. While not commonly offered as part of EI services, Dolan says learning to swim is a critical part of childhood development, and important to ensure the safety of children around bodies of water.
“Being on the coast, there’s an increased risk in this area,” Dolan said. “We want to make sure that children know what to do if they accidentally get into water.”
Tiffany Delaney of Danvers has been excited to see her son, Aidan, become more comfortable and confident in the water. Aidan, who turns 3 in December, enrolled in fall swim lessons at the Greater Beverly YMCA.
“We have an above-ground pool at our house, so it’s really helpful,” said Delaney. “Water safety in general is really important and they talk a lot about that, teaching the kids to say ‘pool, please’ and talking about boat safety and the importance of wearing life jackets. It’s also been a great activity to bond and have a little one-on-one time.”
Aidan, who refused a bottle as an infant, has been in EI since he was 6 months old. He later worked on crawling, walking and regulating his emotions. The Delaneys’ younger son, Colin, was evaluated as an infant for gross motor skills development and he, too, is benefiting from Northeast Arc’s EI services. Colin will also take swim lessons during one of the next sessions.
Emily Shaw’s son, Jack, who just turned 2, had his first experience with swim lessons at the Torigian Family YMCA in Peabody through the Saving Lives Swim Program this fall.
“He did really well,” said Shaw, a Peabody resident. “It was eight weeks, the classes were super small and there was parent participation. We were so happy when we heard about the program. We had already thought about lessons, but this was a nice chance to introduce him to the water and swimming. My parents have a lake house, so safety was our number-one-concern, but we also just want him to be comfortable in the water.”
Jack has been in EI for one year due to some trouble with feeding and speech. “He’s had occupational and speech therapy regularly and he’s doing great,” said Shaw. “He’s saying a ton now and he has no feeding challenges.”