JUMP! Mackay providing swim lessons to children with special needs

Our wonderful team at JUMP! Mackay were recently featured in the Daily Mercury, Mackay’s major newspaper, to highlight their efforts in teaching children with special needs swim lessons.

Read the original news article here.

Mackay franchisee Cheryl Caban believes every child should be given an equal opportunity to learn to swim. Although teaching a child with special needs can prove to be a bit more of a challenge, its worth it knowing we are doing everything we can to ensure the child is happy and comfortable. It gives the parents some piece of mind too!

Cheryl says,

“It’s the importance of learning to swim but it’s also about creating a safe, easy and fun environment for all children to learn – and sometimes that means putting in extra effort for those needing it to make it a little less daunting. Sometimes that means adapting the environment to the kids to make sure they feel safe and at ease, and also explaining things in different ways to help them understand.”

We’re all about giving every child a lifelong love of the water!

Tegan Christensen, a parent of JUMP! Mackay has been left amazed after seeing her autistic son, Levi, progress to the point of going under the water. She says,

“He was given the extra time and effort that he needed and now he’s learning to swim.”

“It was just so nice to see him appreciated and not just another number.”

Due to Levi’s autism spectrum disorder, this made it difficult for him to feel comfortable in the water. To overcome this, his swim teacher Bronte would teach him while floating on his back and shade his eyes with her hand to make him feel more comfortable.

JUMP! Mackay is located on 6/14 Heaths Road, Mackay 4740.