Special needs swimming · Singapore
Special needs swimming lessons, at your child’s pace
Every swimmer can make progress. Coach Jina offers patient, structured 1-to-1 lessons that build water safety, confidence and real swimming skills — for children and adults with special needs.
Certified & registered- Singapore Aquatics Adaptive Swimming Teacher Course (recently completed)
- Currently teaches swimming at Rainbow Centre
- NROC-registered
Our approach
Calm, consistent and built around the swimmer.
We don’t force progress. We build it — with predictable routines, simple step-by-step cues, plenty of encouragement and the patience to repeat. Small wins are celebrated, because every one of them matters.
The same belief Coach Jina brings to her competitive swimmers applies here: change “cannot” to “can”.
- Strictly 1-to-1 attention
- Water safety as the first priority
- Visual, demonstrated and hands-on cues
- Progress shared with parents after each session
Who we support
Coach Jina has worked with children across a wide spectrum of needs, including autism, Down syndrome, ADHD and anxiety, as well as both verbal and non-verbal swimmers with varying levels of support needs.
She has taught students from special education schools including Rainbow Centre, Grace Orchard, MINDS and APSN, and her work teaching children with autism has been featured in the press. Every child is different, so she gets to know each swimmer’s needs, communication style and learning pace, and adapts her teaching to match.
She has recently completed Singapore Aquatics’ SG Coach Adaptive Swimming Teacher Course, which trains coaches to adapt swimming lessons for people with physical, developmental, neurological, sensory or age-related needs.
What lessons build
- Comfort and calm in the water
- Floating, breathing and safe entry/exit
- Strokes and swimming independence
- Fitness, coordination and confidence
Press: “I have taught children with autism before”
As featured in the press: in an SPH Chinese newspaper feature, Jina shared that she has taught children with autism to swim, and that she is continuing to learn so she can teach more people with disabilities. Read the story →
What parents and swimmers say
“Jina is a very patient and experienced coach who is able to teach my special needs boy, who is very afraid of going into the water, exceptionally well. It’s amazing to see how confident my boy is now in just a few sessions.”
“We are what this society terms “high-functioning Neuro-divergents”… Jina takes time to coach each child differently; adapting approaches suitable for each child.”
Her son: “I am not judged, is accepted, get to improve my swim strokes, so why not?!”
“She is firm with the students… does not compromise on water safety. Coach Jina teaches and emphasizes stroke and breathing techniques well.”
Frequently asked questions
Can my child with autism learn to swim?
Many children with autism and other special needs learn to swim well with the right approach: a consistent routine, clear simple cues, patience, and a coach who adapts to the child rather than the other way round. Swimming is also a vital water-safety skill.
What should I tell the coach before the first lesson?
Share your child’s needs, triggers, communication style, any sensory sensitivities and what motivates them. The more Coach Jina knows, the better the first session can be planned.
For special needs lessons, can parents stay and watch? What conditions have you worked with?
Yes, parents are welcome to stay and observe the lessons.
I understand that for parents of children with additional needs, knowing that their child is in a comfortable and supportive learning environment is especially important.
Throughout my coaching experience, I have worked with children across a wide spectrum of needs, including autism, Down syndrome, ADHD and anxiety, as well as both verbal and non-verbal individuals with varying levels of support needs.
I have also taught students from special education schools, including Rainbow Centre, Grace Orchard, MINDS and APSN.
Every child is different, and I believe in understanding each swimmer’s individual needs, communication style and learning pace so that I can adapt my teaching approach accordingly.
My aim is not just to teach swimming, but to help every child feel safe, supported and confident as they learn.
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Ready to see what your swimmer can really do?
Send Coach Jina your swimmer’s age, current club/squad, and latest race times. She will tell you honestly where the time is hiding.
Where I coach: Delta Swimming Complex · Queenstown Swimming Complex · your condo pool