{"id":112482,"date":"2025-12-29T16:54:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T16:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/112482\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T16:54:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T16:54:13","slug":"ymca-of-silicon-valleys-water-safety-program-aims-to-help-kids-with-autism-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/112482\/","title":{"rendered":"YMCA of Silicon Valley’s water safety program aims to help kids with autism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Jason Foreman was on a casual stroll with his 4-year-old son Lucas near Cupertino\u2019s Stevens Creek Dam when it suddenly turned into a nightmare.<\/p>\n

He had looked away for just a few seconds to pull his phone out so he could snap a photo of his son enjoying the outdoors. When he looked back, Lucas had stepped into the deceptively shallow-looking water \u2014 and disappeared underneath it.<\/p>\n

\"LucasLucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, waits with his father Jason before Lucas\u2019 Safety Around Water swim class at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Foreman felt an instant rush of fear and adrenaline \u2014 not only because Lucas didn\u2019t know how to swim, but also because he had been diagnosed with autism, putting him in a group 160 times more likely to drown than a neurotypical child<\/a>. Instinctively, he jumped in after his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a raging creek \u2014 I mean, he was gone,\u201d Foreman remembers. \u201cI jumped in there and was just slashing arms everywhere. I was able to grab him. I got kind of bashed up by the rocks, but I pulled him out. He\u2019s just head-to-toe drenched. I\u2019m drenched, and slapping water out of him as he\u2019s coughing. That was scary. I mean, it was a few seconds, but it felt like minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was 2021, and within a week, Foreman was scrambling for somewhere he could take Lucas for swim lessons \u2014 or at least a program that would make his son feel confident and safe around water. He already knew that extracurricular activities for autistic children were scarce, but when he found the only existing options were far away and extremely expensive, he was determined to get something started closer to their San Jose home.<\/p>\n

Years before his current job working in the Menlo Park City School District\u2019s Early Learning Center, he had spent several years doing childcare camps for the YMCA. He knew about their Safety Around Water (SAW) program for kids, so he approached some administrators at the YMCA of Silicon Valley<\/a>, hoping that the program could be adapted for his son and other kids like him. They recognized the dire need for the program \u2014 according to the Autism Society, drowning is the cause of 91% of deaths among children with autism 14 years or younger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"LucasLucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, is taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

What those conversations kickstarted was an SAW program for neurodiverse youth \u2014 now in its third year \u2014 that the YMCA hopes to expand this year at its Southwest and South Valley Family branches in San Jose with donations through Wish Book. The organization\u2019s goal is $50,000, which will allow the YMCA to offer the inclusive, no-cost water safety instruction to 80 neurodiverse kids.<\/p>\n

Wish Book donations will fund staff time for instructors and aides trained in neurodiversity-affirming practices to deliver one-on-one coaching; staff training in adaptive aquatics, adaptive materials such as flotation aids and sensory-friendly deck tools, and twice-weekly open pool time for neurodiverse youth, as well as targeted outreach to schools and disability-support networks.<\/p>\n

Foreman had no idea back then what he was about to inspire, but he remembers that he didn\u2019t hold back when pitching it to the YMCA\u2019s administrative office.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just came in strong \u2014 stronger than I usually would \u2014 like, \u2018Hey, you know, this is what we need. This is what the YMCA says it\u2019s all about. I need you guys, man, I need you guys to do this.\u2019 And I was very happy somebody actually responded to that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

At first, the YMCA staff didn\u2019t know how they were going to help. Jeremy Lorenzen, Aquatics Director at Southwest YMCA, remembers that when they started a pilot program, they were flying somewhat blind. There was no material from the national YMCA on how to do it. Gradually, they figured out what training they would need to provide for staff, but ultimately, they needed guidance from members who had neurodiverse children about what they wanted to see in an SAW program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat first year, we invited families out,\u201d Lorenzen says. \u201cWe said, \u2018Hey, this is a new program for us. We want to learn how to best serve you, so we\u2019d like to just invite you out to the pool to work together with us.\u2019 The first year we did it, it was less about, \u2018What\u2019s the training?\u2019 or \u2018What\u2019s the cost associated with this?\u201d It was, \u2018What\u2019s the difference between group lessons or private lessons for neurotypical students and neurodiverse students?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JasonJason Foreman, from San Jose, asks his son Lucas, 9, if he is done swimming at the end of his lesson taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

What they learned turned out not only to be essential for starting an adaptive SAW program, but for improving their entire swim program, Lorenzen says. He relates it to the \u201ccurb cut theory,\u201d which is that a change made for a specific group can often benefit society as a whole \u2014 for instance, the curb cuts in sidewalks that, while designed for wheelchairs, also aid everyone from bicyclists to parents pushing strollers.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Staff members) were saying things like \u2018Oh, I learned this when I was teaching adaptation lessons, and I apply it to my group lessons now, and it works way better.\u2019 Or \u2018Now I do it in my regular private lessons,\u2019\u201d says Lorenzen. \u201cBy making it more accessible for a certain community, we\u2019re making it more accessible for everyone. That was, I think, the biggest takeaway that first year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kim Miller, executive director of Southwest YMCA, says the organization chose the expansion of the SAW for neurodiverse youth program as its Wish Book focus this year because there are so few options for parents like Foreman who need it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe said, \u2018Let\u2019s make this available for everybody, and let people know that we have it now \u2014 because that\u2019s still a big roadblock for us, as we\u2019re offering these lessons,\u201d says Miller. \u201cUltimately, it would be great to be able to offer them at all the different branches. That\u2019d be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, poses for a photograph with his father Jason at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, is taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jason<\/p>\n

Jason Foreman, from San Jose, walks with son Lucas, 9, for his lesson taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, is taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, is taught by Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, waits with his father Jason before Lucas\u2019 Safety Around Water swim class at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jason<\/p>\n

Jason Foreman, from San Jose, helps his son Lucas, 9, into the pool with Natalie Hand, swim instructor, in the Safety Around Water (SAW) program at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 7<\/p>\n

Lucas Foreman, 9, from San Jose, poses for a photograph with his father Jason at the Southwest YMCA in Saratoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2025. Wish Book for the YMCA Safety Around Water program. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the students at the Southwest YMCA\u2019s adaptive SAW class for all three summers has been Lucas. His one-hour lessons focus on floating, treading, and safe entry and exit.<\/p>\n

Foreman says he was worried at first that Lucas might have been traumatized by the incident at Stevens Creek. But he was surprised to find not only that Lucas was curious about the water, but that within just a week of instruction in the program, he could see the difference in his son\u2019s confidence and skill. Three years later, Foreman is clearly feeling that despite the ongoing challenges, the YMCA program has brought him the feeling he was searching for when he first sought out help \u2014 that Lucas can be safe around water.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe absolutely loves it. Enjoys every second of it,\u201d Foreman says. \u201cCoordinating the upper body and lower body, just the neuro-wiring, that\u2019s a little tough. But, I mean, he\u2019s got that down, you know? The excitement\u2019s there. There\u2019s not any fear. And when push comes to shove, he knows what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ABOUT WISH BOOK<\/p>\n

Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.<\/p>\n

WISH<\/p>\n

Donations to the YMCA of Silicon Valley<\/a> will allow 80 neurodiverse young people to experience the program.\u00a0Goal: $50,000<\/p>\n

HOW TO GIVE<\/p>\n

Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com\/donate <\/a>or mail in this form.<\/a><\/p>\n

ONLINE EXTRA<\/p>\n

Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at\u00a0wishbook.mercurynews.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jason Foreman was on a casual stroll with his 4-year-old son Lucas near Cupertino\u2019s Stevens Creek Dam when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":112280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[4846,42335,3793,184,7,8,16193,186,15,23,100,5466,182,385,88,90,89,198,200,933,42336,42337],"class_list":["post-112482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-accidents","tag-all-readers","tag-autism","tag-bay-area","tag-california","tag-california-news","tag-child-safety","tag-cupertino","tag-education","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-nonprofits","tag-pm-report","tag-regional","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-south-bay","tag-swimming","tag-wish-book","tag-wish-book-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}