YMCA instructors use Easter Seals training on autism to teach swimming this summer

Swimming at the Y is good for all children, but executives at local Easter Seals and YMCA organizations believe it’s especially good for youngsters with autism. On July 6, sessions will open to beginning swimmers who need specialized attention.
Lynn Sinnott, president of Easter Seals Volusia and Flagler Counties, says the instructors at the DeLand and Port Orange Family YMCAs are now equipped with the adaptive tools and skills to teach youngsters with autism who are 3 to 12 years old. Parents had asked Easter Seals for swimming opportunities for their children, and, since Sinnott knew her organization could not fulfill the requests alone, she approached Teresa Rogers, president and CEO of Volusia Flagler Family YMCA.
To register for the sessions, go to the DeLand YMCA, 761 E. International Speedway Blvd., or the Port Orange YMCA, 4701 City Center Parkway; or visit the YMCA online at www.vfymca.org for more information about YMCA programs. For details, call the DeLand Y at 386-736-6000 or the Port Orange branch at 386-760-9622.
Today, as many as one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism, making autism more prevalent than Down Syndrome, childhood diabetes and childhood cancer combined. Easter Seals Autism Center of Excellence brings together a team of professionals to provide access to early diagnostic and functional assessment, a variety of treatment alternatives, and the life skills necessary to maximize the independence of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. For more information, call Easter Seals at (877) 255-4568 or TTY (386) 257-3600.
A charitable organization, the YMCA is an association of people who come together with the vision of building strong kids, strong families, strong communities. The YMCA is open to people of all abilities, ages, backgrounds, cultures, faiths and incomes. Visit www.vfymca.org or call 386-738-9622.
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