FAQ

       Neverland Aquatics Terms and Definitions

Session: a 5-8 week time period when classes are held

Class: a private, semi-private, or group lesson lasting 30 minutes with one Neverland-qualified instructor. All classes occur weekly for a single predetermined session.

Group Class: a 30-minute class with one Neverland-qualified instructor and no more than 5 swimmers with 1 adult per swimmer in the water at all times (unless otherwise noted) 

Private Class: a one-on-one 30-minute class with one Neverland-qualified instructor and one swimmer

Semi-Private: a 30-minute class with one Neverland-qualified instructor and two swimmers. By request only. Upon successful enrollment in a Private class, email schedule@adaptedswim.com for more info on changing to a Semi-Private. 

Make-Up Day: a predetermined day for swimmers to attend based on a missed class during the session. Valid only for the session in which the missed lesson takes place. Make-Up Days only apply to Private and Semi-Private Classes; there is no Make-Up Day for Group Classes. 

Register: to create an account within our system, which is a prerequisite to enrollment in our Sessions

Enroll: to successfully pay for and therefore sign up for a specific class within a specific Session

Enrollment Day: Beginning approximately two weeks before the first week of a new Session, it is the first day that enrollment is open to all swimmers.

Basic Swim Skills 1: This class focuses on developing swim skills that are important for the foundation of anyone’s swim journey. We will be developing skills like floating, putting your face in water, gliding, jumping in, turning around, and practicing various components of swimming. There are no requirements to join this class. Each swimmer must have one adult with him or her in the water at all times to attend this class. 

Basic Swim Skills 2: This class focuses on further developing swim skills that are important for the foundation of anyone’s swim journey. All swimmers must be at least 7 years old and be comfortable with some amount of eyes in the water. The swimmer must also be able to do at least one of the following skills independently for 3 seconds: front or back float, swim on back or front, submerge face underwater, or roll from back-to-front or front-to-back. Each swimmer must have one adult with him or her in the water at all times to attend this class.  

Strength and Endurance Swim Skills: This class focuses on building independent swim skills. All swimmers should have the endurance to swim the length of the pool with assistance/support from an adult (i.e. holding belly or legs up) or aide(i.e. pool noodle). We will be developing swim technique and learning additional strokes and skills. Each swimmer must have one adult in the water with him or her at all times to attend this class. 

Swim Team: This class focuses on all four competitive strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly), endurance, speed, and teamwork. Swimmers must be recommended prior to enrolling in this class. Prerequisites include being able to work in a small group with minimal support, can reasonably follow group instructions to maintain safe behavior in the water, and being able to swim the length of the pool on his or her front and back with minimal assistance. Parents are not required to be in the water for this class. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which classes can I enroll in?
• • • All Private and Basic Swim Skills 1 Classes are open for all registered families.
    • Basic Swim Skills 2, and Strength and Endurance Swim Skills are eligible for any registered family who meets the Class Requirements. 
    • Swim Team and Semi-Private Classes are by invitation only.

• I am new or returning after a long time. What do I need to do to enroll in classes? 

• • • New families: Welcome! First, you will need to fill out our Evaluation Form. Once the form is complete we will send you the information on how to register with us. 
    • Upon completion of our registration you will be eligible to enroll in the next Session with us! We are excited to meet you! For any questions, please contact schedule@adaptedswim.com  
    • Returning families: If you are returning after more than a year of absence, we may need to reactivate your account with us. Email schedule@adaptedswim.com  before the next Enrollment Day to ask us to reactivate your account and to ensure you have the best chance of enrolling in our next Session. 

• What if my swimmer needs to miss a class day? 

• • • All private and semi-private Classes have a designated Make-Up Day scheduled towards the end of the Session. After you are enrolled, contact schedule@adaptedswim.com to schedule your make-up on your instructors designated Make-Up Day. This applies to all make-ups including what formerly was considered early and late cancellations. 
    • There is no Make-Up Day for Group Classes

• What if my instructor has to cancel?

• • • We do our best to pre-schedule the instructor absences for each Session, but in the event that your instructor needs to be absent for a lesson after the Session is underway, we will do our best to have a substitute Neverland-qualified instructor. 
    • If a substitute is not an option, we will credit your account for the class. 

• I have a credit balance on my account, so how do I enroll for classes?

• • All credit families will need to pay to enroll like all other families. 
  • Once you are enrolled, email us your paid email receipt at billings@adaptedswim.com, and we will refund your card and apply your credit to your Session. 
  • This practice supports fair and equal enrollment with all our families. 
  •  
• I want to use funding to pay for services. How does that work?
• • • All funding families will need to pay to enroll like all other families. Once you are enrolled, you will receive a paid email receipt which you can turn in for personal reimbursement with your funding organization (Avita, for example), or you will need to forward your receipt to us at billings@adaptedswim.com. 
    • From there we will either send you an invoice to submit to your funding organization, or we will submit to your funding organization on your behalf (BDI and InCommunity). We will not submit your invoice unless you first send us your receipt for each enrollment. 
    • Once we receive direct payment from your funding organization we will refund your card and apply the funding payment to your account. 

• When can I enroll for classes? 

• • • All registered families are eligible to enroll for the next Session via the Parent Portal. Sessions are open for enrollment one Session at a time; families are not limited in the number of Classes they can enroll in each Session pending availability. 
    • Enrollment will be open approximately 2 weeks before the start of the Session for which you can enroll. 
    • The first day of open enrollment is called Enrollment Day, but it is not the only day you can enroll, pending availability. Enrollment closes once the schedule is full or approximately 10 days after Enrollment Day or the Wednesday preceding the start of the new Session.

• How do I enroll for classes?

• • • As early as Enrollment Day, registered families can log onto their Parent Portal to enroll in Classes for the next Session. 
    • After logging into the Parent Portal, you will be able to view available Classes. Once you find an available class you would like to enroll in, click Add to Cart and follow prompts to successfully Add. Once all desired classes are added to your cart proceed to Check Out. Once payment is successful you will receive a notification that you have successfully enrolled in the class. Any questions please reach out to schedule@adaptedswim.com 

• How do I know I successfully enrolled for a class?

• • Once you “Check Out” and have successful payment for your desired class on the Parent Portal you will receive a paid email receipt that also gives you a confirmation that you have successfully enrolled in the class.

• What if I enrolled in a class by mistake? 

• • • If you successfully enrolled in a class that no longer works for you or if you chose the wrong time by mistake, go ahead and enroll for the correct class, and then contact us at schedule@adaptedswim.com to correct your account. 
    • If you chose to contact us first we cannot guarantee that your desired class will still be available.

• When does open enrollment end?

• • • Classes for the next session are open for enrollment beginning approximately two weeks before the start of the new session. Enrollment will close once the schedule is full or on the Wednesday before the start of the new session, approximately 10 days after Enrollment Day. All specific dates will be posted on our social media as well as emailed out to our current registered families. Stay tuned! 

• I am having trouble enrolling in a class. Who should I contact? 

• • • The Class you are trying to enroll in may be full or no longer open for enrollment.
    •  If you are still having issues with an open Class, contact us at schedule@adaptedswim.com, and we will be more than happy to help

• Do I really need to get in the water with my swimmer for the Group Classes? And why?

• • Yes, each swimmer must have one adult who is 18 yrs or older with him or her in the water at all times for the Basic Swim Skills and the Strength and Endurance Swim Classes. For the Swim Team Class (by recommendation only) there is no adult in-water requirement. 
  • If a swimmer does not have an accompanying adult, he or she will not be allowed to get in the water that day. The adult does not have to be the same adult each time but remember—most swimmers do best with consistency. 
  • Why? We believe in helping our families in any way we can for the benefit and safety of our families, our community, and our world. By requiring an adult in our group classes, we are supporting our bigger goal of empowering parents and giving them the tools to be safe and successful with their swimmers in the water. This practice enables our families to not only be safe in non-Neverland aquatic environments but also for all involved to make more positive aquatic memories together. 

What is Survival Swimming?

Depending on your instructor and your student, this may be the initial phase of your swimming journey. The foundational skill we often teach students with little to no swimming skills is survival. This can take many forms such as rolling into a float, swimming to the edge of the pool to climb out, or treading water. This is the most valuable lifesaving component of our program. Accidental drowning is a leading cause of death for children with Autism and other developmental disabilities. Many children and adults with Autism love the water and can have a false confidence when it comes to their swimming abilities. They may love putting their face in the water and playing, but what happens when they find themselves in water over their head? Teaching our students how to safely and confidently navigate the water is what can save them if they are ever caught in an unexpected situation.