Special Needs Aquatic Program or SNAP with Stepping Stones is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to fill a need within our community to offer safe, inclusive aquatic programs for children with special needs and their families led by skilled instructors who foster trust, confidence, and connection.
Your generous support ensures quality aquatic programs in our community to all.

SNAP is designed for children who have not had success in typical community swim programs. We are a stepping stone to those community swim programs where our primary goals are establishing water safety and becoming comfortable in the water. Our programs are at Yarrow YMCA in Westlake Village & Simi YMCA in Simi Valley.


8 weeks of 30-minute private swimming lesson with an adaptive swim instructor.


8 weeks of Parent and Child group class. Offering 30-minute swim class for Little Swimmers, 45-minute Aquatic Group class with a therapist, and 60-minute classes for Swim Team.


6 weeks of 45-minute private physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy in a community-based pool.

Aquatic Therapy lessons have a licensed Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapist who will perform an assessment to gather parent goals, medical history and swim experience.
The experienced therapist will then provide specific aquatic-based treatment to meet your child's needs.
Rate: $120 for each 45-minute treatment
booked for 6 consecutive weeks
Goals: water safety skills, gross motor, fine motor, coordination, breath control, sensory processing, strengthening - as specified by therapy needs
Children in this program can be any age and do not need to meet any requirements to participate.

Private Swim pairs an adaptive swim instructor with a child after assessing parent goals, medical history, swim experience, and water safety skills. They will adapt swim lessons specifically to meet your child's needs.
Rate: $65 for each 30-minute lesson
booked for 8 consecutive weeks
Goals: water safety skills, adaptive techniques and equipment, progress towards independent swimming
Children in this program must meet minimum requirements for swim readiness. (Aquatic Group instructors will determine when each child is swim and safety ready to advance to these private lessons.) Child must be 3 or older.

Coming Soon: Sensory Splashers
Sensory Splashers provides a stepping stone for children with water sensory sensitivities. Each child, while being assisted by their parent in the water, will be guided by instructors to explore the aquatic environment with a lesson adapted to addressing their sensitivities in order to prepare them for the Little Swimmers class.
Goals: water introduction, feeling of water on the face, wearing goggles, becoming comfortable with an instructor, water safety skills
This class is recommended for:
Children in this program do not need to meet any requirements to participate.

Little Swimmers provides a fun, social experience to allow younger children to explore the aquatic environment, learn pool safety and practice basic swimming skills to promote a smooth transition to private adaptive swimming lessons. Group classes require an adult/caregiver to participate in the pool during the class.
The instructors will make recommendations and adaptations during class to allow your child to participate in activities as independently as possible.
Rate: $50 for each class
booked for 30-minutes for 8 consecutive weeks
Goals: water introduction, water safety, play based peer modeling, socialization, skill repetition
This class is recommended for:
Children in this program do not need to meet any requirements to participate.

Aquatic Group is where older children, assisted by their parent in the water, will participate in a fun environment of water safety, swim skills, fitness and games with their peers.
The instructors will make recommendations and adaptations during class to allow your child to participate in activities as independently as possible.
Rate: $50 for each class
booked for 45-minutes for 8 consecutive weeks
Goals: water introduction, water safety, play based peer modeling, socialization, fitness, skill repetition
This class is recommended for:
Children in this program do not need to meet any requirements to participate.

Swim Team is where each child, assisted by their parent in the water, will participate in progressive swim skills and social games with their peers.
Rate: $50 for each class
booked for 60-minutes for 8 consecutive weeks
Goals: water safety skills repetition, play based peer modeling, socialization, fitness, stroke skills progression
Swim Team consists of:
Children in this program are recommended by instructors after having progressed through private sessions.



31105 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Westlake Village, CA 91362