By XAVIER SMERDON
DISABLED and special needs children in Wyndham will finally be able to share in the joy of swimming thanks to a new class that it is hoped will fill some serious gaps.
Natalia Clarke, whose 14-year-old son Bailey has Asperger’s Syndrome, established Swim 4 All in the eastern suburbs to help people who usually fall through the cracks.
Last week she purchased the Werribee Swim Centre in Merchants Court and will use it to bring her unique classes to the area.
“After Bailey was born I developed a swimming class just to help a handful of friends and the class quickly grew to about 300 people,” Ms Clarke told Star.
“I found on my side of town there wasn’t anything for disabled and special needs children so I decided to bring it to the other side of the Westgate.”
Ms Clarke said children with autism and other disorders generally had a fascination with water, which could turn fatal if they were not taught how to act around it.
“They generally love the water and they can often just jump in it straight away when they see a pool, which can be very dangerous,” she said.
“We teach them about water safety and help them to obtain the skills they need.
“Often they are quite capable of learning just like anybody else, they just need some patience, understanding and to be taught by someone who knows how they learn.”
Ms Clarke said she loved seeing her clients and their parent’s reactions to their new found skills.
“It’s great to be surrounded by happy people all the time, and when they see what their kids are achieving, they are just so happy,” she said.
“It’s unexpected. They didn’t think they would be able to learn those skills.”
For more information visit www.swim4all.com
