Special Needs Swimming (aquatic movement development therapy)

We offer regular special needs swimming classes every week for all of our students in one of the exercise pools of the Debrecen city swimming pool. The children are accompanied by their parents or relatives to assist in executing the various aquatic exercises.

The 90-minutes class includes the following exercises:

            -familiarizing them with water, developing a sense of security in water;

            -passive movement of joints

            -stretching

            -active exercises: upper- and lower limb exercises for strengthening the muscles, developing control of the neck and the torso, improving hand-eye coordination;

            -stimulating the vestibular system;

            -breathing exercises, strengthening chest muscles, improving pulmonary function;

            -walking exercises;

            -learning the rudiments of swimming (regarding each condition) and practicing (gliding with/without floats, arm strokes and leg kicks for crawl swimming);

            -dexterity exercises, team games, competitive exercises, ball games;

            -relaxation.

The pleasantly tepid water temperature facilitates muscle relaxation, while also allowing the children to execute exercises they could not do under the normal circumstances of a gymnasium. This way the exercises not only get more satisfying for them, but they also increase the children’s self-confidence, task-consciousness and performance.