Swim program for autistic children and adults developed at Carson City Aquatic Facility
The Carson City Recreation Department, through the generous support of Let Them Be Kids, is proud to announce the Joe Lopez Adult/Child Swim Hour for Children with Autism and ASD.
This program is a first of its kind in the Carson Valley and is designed specifically to expose children and adults with autism or ASD to the water. The swim hour is free of charge to anyone affected by Autism and is the precursor to the Joe Lopez Adaptive Swim program which will teach water safety and swim lessons to those on the spectrum and is set to begin in the first quarter of 2013.
"I am excited to be able to offer this program to get a population that doesn't usually use our facility. We built this for everyone," said Kurt Meyer, supervisor of operations of the Carson City Aquatic Facility.
There will be lifeguards and instructors in attendance to interact with the parents and children to gain trust and give everyone involved the confidence to move towards the next steps of water safety and actually swim lessons.
According to the National Autism Association; “Tragically, children and adults with autism are often attracted to water sources such as pools, ponds, and lakes. Drowning is a leading cause of death for a child or adult who has autism.”
The program is named for former Green Beret and longtime Carson City resident and swimming enthusiast, Joe Lopez, whose grandnephew is on the autism spectrum.
“We are proud to support this worthy endeavor” said Jesse John, Let Them Be Kids Board Member, “and commend the Carson Aquatics Center for addressing this community need; we know it will be great for both kids and families”
These one hour swim times are in the therapy pool and are free to the child and accompanying adult. Swim times are Tuesdays and Saturdays 3:30pm to 4:30pm beginning 12/14/12. Call 283-7351 for more information or email kmeyer@carson.org.