Raylene Chaffee
Founder and instructor
Raylene taught in a special education classroom for many years before she moved her classroom to the pool. She leads the placement visits and plans every swimmer's first month. English.
Adaptive swim lessons
Swim lessons that begin with what helps
A warm, ramp-entry pool for children and teens with sensory, physical and developmental differences. At a placement visit we ask what helps, then plan the class around your swimmer.
What helps
Tell us what helps, and we plan around it
A way in
A ramp with a handrail, and steps beside it. Bring a walker or a chair to the water's edge and we plan where it waits.
Sound and light
A pool room can be loud. Tell us what is too much and we plan around it, with a quieter half hour at the start of every class day.
How we talk
Short phrases, a picture schedule and a first-then card. One instructor signs in American Sign Language.
Touch
We ask before we hold or guide a swimmer, and we stop when your swimmer says so, in whatever way works.
Breaks
A step to sit on, a pause at the wall and a drink are part of every class. Nothing is rushed to keep to a plan.
Who is in the water
An instructor beside every swimmer, and a parent or caregiver in the water too if that helps.
Six levels
Levels named for what swimmers practice
- 01
Getting in
Yellow dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsComing down the ramp or the steps at your own pace
Getting to know the pool, the room and the instructor
Holding the rail or the instructor's hands
Choosing where to rest
Moving upWhen getting in feels steady and your swimmer chooses to stay in the water, the instructor suggests Settling in the water.
- 02
Settling in the water
Green dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsSitting and standing on the step
Moving along the wall, hand over hand
Splashing and blowing bubbles, if your swimmer likes
Learning the class signs for stop, rest and again
Moving upWhen moving along the wall is easy and the class signs are familiar, the instructor suggests Floating with support.
- 03
Floating with support
Teal dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsFloating on the back with hands under the shoulders
Floating on the front with a noodle or a belt
Resting in a float between turns
Standing back up with a hand
Moving upWhen floating with support is steady and standing back up is easy, the instructor suggests Kicking and reaching.
- 04
Kicking and reaching
Blue dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsKicking at the wall and with a board
Reaching for the instructor and for the wall
Arm pulls on the front or the back
Turning toward the wall
Moving upWhen kicking and reaching carry your swimmer a few body lengths, the instructor suggests Moving on your own.
- 05
Moving on your own
Purple dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsCrossing the shallow end with a float
Rolling from the front to the back
Breathing out with the face in the water, if your swimmer likes
Reaching the wall or the rail
Moving upWhen your swimmer crosses the shallow end and reaches the rail, the instructor suggests Strokes and longer swims.
- 06
Strokes and longer swims
Pink dot, ages 4 to 17SkillsFreestyle and back crawl arms, adapted to the swimmer
Breathing to the side, or lifting the head
Swimming across the width of the pool with rests
Swimming beside a partner
Moving upThis is the top level. Swimmers stay as long as they like, and the instructor adds a new stroke or a longer swim when it is time.
Where to startBook a placement visit
Sample levels.
Every swimmer moves at their own pace.
The pool
One warm pool with a ramp and a rail
Every class is in the same rented pool, so the way in, the wall and the quiet corner stay the same from week to week. The ramp is wide, the handrail runs its full length, and parents watch from chairs along the deck.
Sessions through the year
Fall, winter, spring and summer
- Early September to late October
Fall session
A steady start to the school year
Eight weeks of thirty-minute classes, once or twice a week. The quieter half hour is open to every level.
- Ages 4 to 17
- Monday to Thursday afternoons, Saturday mornings
- Our warm ramp-entry pool in Oak Ridge
- January to early March
Winter session
Warm water in a cold month
Eight weeks of thirty-minute classes. Swimmers who started in the fall keep their instructor where we can.
- Ages 4 to 17
- Monday to Thursday afternoons, Saturday mornings
- Our warm ramp-entry pool in Oak Ridge
- Late March to mid May
Spring session
A longer look at what comes next
Eight weeks of thirty-minute classes. Spring fills first; we offer places in the order families asked.
- Ages 4 to 17
- Monday to Thursday afternoons, Saturday mornings
- Our warm ramp-entry pool in Oak Ridge
Waitlist - June and July
Summer weeks
The same pool, a lighter schedule
Six weeks of thirty-minute classes, with a week off in the middle for family trips.
- Ages 4 to 17
- Monday to Thursday afternoons, Saturday mornings
- Our warm ramp-entry pool in Oak Ridge
Sample sessions.
Who is in the water
An instructor is in the water beside every swimmer. A parent or caregiver can come in too when that helps.
Adults to children
1 adult to 1 child
Getting in, ages 4 to 17
1 adult to 1 child
Settling in the water, ages 4 to 17
1 adult to 1 child
Floating with support, ages 4 to 17
1 adult to 2 children
Kicking and reaching, ages 4 to 17
1 adult to 2 children
Moving on your own, ages 4 to 17
1 adult to 2 children
Strokes and longer swims, ages 4 to 17
Ages 4 years to 17 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Lifeguard training
- Water safety instructors
Safety routines
Getting in
The instructor sets up the ramp or the steps before your swimmer arrives and goes at your swimmer's pace.
Parents and caregivers
A parent or caregiver stays at the pool and watches from the deck. A caregiver in the water is planned at the placement visit.
Unwell, or the pool is closed
We text families when the pool closes, and a missed class is made up in the same session.
Sample details.
Four instructors, one pool
Jarrod Watts
Instructor
Jarrod teaches the middle and upper levels and the Saturday classes. He keeps the same warm-up and the same words every week for swimmers who like a steady routine. English.
Jaylene Sevilla
Instructor, signs in American Sign Language
Jaylene signs in American Sign Language and uses a picture schedule in every class. She teaches the first levels and the quieter half hour. English and American Sign Language.
Chetan Phadke
Instructor
Chetan taught physical education for many years and now teaches the strokes level. He likes to swim beside a swimmer in the next lane. English.
Questions families ask first
Do we need a letter or a report to book?
No. We ask what helps at the placement visit, and you share only what you like.
Can a parent or caregiver be in the water?
Yes, if it helps your swimmer. We plan it together at the placement visit, and a caregiver can step out as your swimmer settles in.
What if the pool room is too loud?
Tell us. The quieter half hour is the first thirty minutes of every class day, and ear plugs and swim caps are welcome in every class.
What should my swimmer wear?
A swimsuit or a swim shirt, whichever your swimmer likes. Bring a towel and anything that helps, such as goggles or a cap.
How does tuition work?
It depends on the level, the classes a week and the session. Our figures are on the enrollment page, and we are glad to go through them by phone.
How do we start?
With a placement visit: a half hour in the water with an instructor, so we can choose a level and a class time together.
Book a placement visit
Pick a half-hour visit on our enrollment page. We will ask what helps your swimmer and set up the way into the water before you arrive.
Phone(865) 555-0106
Hours
- Monday to ThursdayToday
- 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Friday and SundayToday
- Closed