Speech & Swim FAQs
Speech & Swim is swim for all. We offer instruction for swimmers with and without needs in communication.
For students with communication needs, we embed speech and language skills and strategies while simultaneously teaching swimming.
This combination builds confidence in and out of the water.
No! We offer traditional swim lessons for all ages and levels.
Beck sees monumental breakthroughs on a daily basis. They include experiencing child laughter, parent appreciation, the increased flexibility to push past a previous comfort level, the expansion of language in a child who is primarily nonverbal, a little one who is now able to get dive rings off the bottom of the pool with friends, a 4th grade boy finally kicking that tough /r/ sound, and/or a child who is finally able to swim the length of the pool to pass the swim test at camp and swim with their peers.
Beck is the founder of Speech & Swim™. She holds a bachelor’s in Communication Studies from Christopher Newport University and a Master’s in Speech Pathology from Longwood University. Beck also earned a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology, a nationally recognized professional credential from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She worked for nearly 20 years teaching speech therapy in the schools and hospitals. Beck founded Speech & Swim in 2019.
Beck is also a Certified Instructor in Infant Swim Resources (ISR). Find out more about Beck here.
Hours vary due to pool and instructor availability.
Weekend classes vary due to pool and instructor availability.
Available lesson times vary from session to session. We understand it is frustrating to not have PM avails or an unlimited amount of early morning slots but please note we are working parents of young children ourselves. Being in the pool early morning AND after work is not feasible if we want to see our own children. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience knowing as many slots are being offered as possible!
Yes! Follow our Facebook page for announcements about drop-in sessions offered on school days off/holidays.
Lessons are held year-round in the Greater Williamsburg area for ISR, therapeutic swim, and traditional swim sessions.
Evening sessions are held in Newport News for traditional and therapeutic swim.
In order to help as many families as possible, our schedule does not typically allot travel time between sessions.
You are welcome to email info@speechandswim.com for travel pricing.
Both are offered. The decision for small group versus individual sessions is made through parent discussion and level of individualized attention needed for the safety of swimmers.
No. Our data has determined that participants achieve better results and are more engaged in the session if parents are not in the water. We encourage parents to watch poolside and implement similar speech enhancing strategies at home.
Therapeutic swim is $75 a session.
Great question! Speech & Swim understands that there is more than one way to teach swimming. Every person does not learn in the same way or in the same order. We specialize in individualization: meeting participants where they are and building on their strengths to overcome areas of current weakness. Speech & Swim instructors build rapport, trust, and confidence while gently extending a swimmer’s skill. We discuss goals with the swimmer and their family. At Speech & Swim, our instructors are highly certified. We understand it takes more than being a great swimmer to be a great instructor.
Sessions are rescheduled or credited if canceled due to lightning/thunder, pool closure, or instructor led cancellation.
We offer initial forgiveness for traffic, sicknesses, and life. Speech & Swim requires 24 hours cancellation ahead of scheduled sessions after the first forgiveness for reimbursement or rescheduling.
We are private pay at this time. We can offer a receipt or Superbill following a provided service for submission to your provider.
Therapeutic swim for speech language therapy sessions are open to 18 months-adult. Please see Infant Swim Resource if you are interested in survival swim sessions. Sessions for little ones with therapeutic swim focusing on speech therapy are designed for language enhancement, clarity of speech, and play in the water.
Therapeutic swim for occupational therapy sessions are open to ages 3+. Please see Infant Swim Resource if you are interested in survival swim lessons. Therapeutic swim with a focus on occupational therapy is designed for safety and skill in and around the water for individuals with needs in sensory, pragmatics, fine motor movement, attention and/or impulsivity
An evaluation is optional and available through Hastings Family Therapy. Evaluations identify areas of specific need and growth. An up to date (within 3 years) evaluation is useful for determining baseline and quantifying progress. It is not mandatory. A family conversation and skilled clinical ear help guide areas of communication practice.
We get this question a lot! Each child is different. Breakthroughs are amazing and many kids make substantial amazing progress in 3-4 sessions, but every child is unique. We’ve had some swim to the wall independently with a few sessions. We’ve had some friends hesitant to come off the stairs, to become willing to put their eyes in and kick in a horizontal position in a matter of weeks, but it takes consistency and sometimes time. It is incredibly rewarding. I can celebrate the progress, but I cannot give you a finite number.
There is not a minimum or maximum number of sessions. We have swimmers who swim with us for a month and friends we love to see year after year.
Spaces fill quickly. We recommend that you place your name on the calendar, especially in the Spring and Summer when interested.
Infant Swim Resources (ISR)
ISR prioritizes safety and emphasizes competence to provide the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment in and around the water.
Lessons are attended 10 minutes a day, 4 consecutive days a week (M-TH) for approximately 6 weeks. The consistency of daily lessons is critical for learning efficiency. These are NOT traditional swim lessons! We are teaching highly specialized skills and it is very important to attend class every day. If you cannot commit to this schedule, you may not register until you are sure you can.
Available lesson times vary from session to session.
Available lesson times vary from session to session. We understand it is frustrating to not have PM avails or an unlimited amount of early morning slots but please note we are working parents of young children ourselves. Being in the pool early morning AND after work is not feasible if we want to see our own children. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience knowing as many slots are being offered as possible!
Lessons are 4 consecutive days a week (M-TH) so you will always need to attend lessons on weekdays. Currently and for the foreseeable future, we will be operating on a Mon-Thurs schedule.
We encourage families to consider lessons in the "off season" to arm their child with aquatic skills BEFORE pools begin to open for the summer. It is for this reason that Fall & Winter are the sessions that have the most slots for new students, but a common hesitation from parents is that the child will forget if they don't learn right before swim season.
Luckily ISR Self-Rescue Skills are a sensorimotor skill- just like crawling, walking, or riding a bike. Sensorimotor skills are not simply forgotten, although they can certainly get rusty without use.
This is why we will encourage you to return for Refresher and Maintenance lessons periodically after your child’s initial learning- Maintenance in particular is very low commitment. These follow up learning opportunities will ensure your little one gets to adjust their skills to their rapid growth and will keep things sharp.
For private lesson inquiries, email us and we can let you know if it's something we are able to work into the existing or upcoming schedule. We typically can only fit in one private stop in the summer session. Private lessons start at $400/week and depending on location may incur an additional travel fee.
If you want lessons to be at your home for convenience purposes but without the private lesson premium, consider applying to be a summer host pool. Host families allow us to use their pool for a daily ~2.5 hour block of time, M-TH in the 6 week summer session. The perks of hosting are preferred choice of timeslot for the host family's children and the host family can enjoy a non-existent commute. Hosting is also a great way to "do your part" ensuring not only your own children get skilled, but to help us reach more children in your very own community. Primary requirements are a convenient/centrally located location in Williamsburg, VA a heated pool to 86-88 degrees (by a heater, not just the sun!) a set of shallow end steps or sun shelf, and neighbors who won't mind a bit of "kid" noise. Email us for a full list of requirements for hosting!
No, ISR lessons are always one-on-one.
Parents are not required to get in the water during lessons BUT your instructor may suggest a time when it may make sense for you to join a few lessons with your child, towards the end of the session, to learn how to play with them in the water while honoring their hard earned skills!
2025 tuition pricing for Fall and Winter sessions will be $1150 for the skill set for one student. The Spring and Summer 2026 session will be $1500 for the skill set for one student. Note lessons are 4 days a week (M-TH) for 6 weeks. A non-refundable, non-transferable $450 deposit ($550 for Spring and Summer session) is due during sign up.
The remaining tuition balance is due in Week 1 of lessons. Payment plans for tuition balances are available for families with siblings and/or those who need it.
There is a one-time registration fee of $105 which goes directly to ISR- this is separate from tuition and does NOT go to your instructor. The registration fee covers a comprehensive medical background check that you complete online when you register your child. ISR’s staff of nurses reviews all the information in full to ensure your child can safely participate in lessons. One example that might prevent your child from being trained by ISR is a history of seizures. Registration links will be sent out approx 4 weeks prior to the start of lessons at which time you will pay the fee.
Sibling Discounts: Sibling discounts are available for 2 or more siblings enrolled in lessons at the same time. Tuition for the 2nd + sibling(s) is discounted by 10%. The one-time national registration fee mentioned above is $105.00 per child and is not subject to sibling discounts.
Great question! ISR has been researched and developed for 55+ years. It’s nationally recognized as the safest swim program for infants and children. Your children will learn life saving skills that traditional lessons do not provide. If you are looking for a swim class that focuses on socialization and play rather than safety and survival, you might consider traditional swim lessons.
- ISR teaches your children to SWIM. There are no other programs in Virginia that will teach your child to swim with their face in the water or offer any sort of guarantee about what they will learn. Many parents come to us after spending hundreds of dollars on traditional “swim” programs frustrated because their child doesn’t have any discernible skills after weeks, months, or even years of lessons.
- You do not need to enroll your children into swim lessons summer after summer, year after year. Once they learn these skills, they have them forever. With maintenance and refresher lessons, they will retain their skills indefinitely. You end up spending more money over time on traditional lessons that are taught by former high school swimmers or college students trying to make some spending money over the summer. Speaking of teaching credentials...
- Every ISR instructor undergoes 8 weeks of intense training. Hands on, in the pool with an ISR Master Instructor and students, learning the ISR method. For 8 weeks, we are in the pool 5x per week for several hours a day, for a minimum of 60 hours with ACTUAL students. In addition, we receive extensive hours of academic training in anatomy, physiology, child psychology, behavior and development, sensorimotor learning, and how each relates to the aquatic environment. Every instructor also maintains CPR and First Aid certifications, as well as annual recertification and testing to maintain our ISR certification and skills.
- Lastly, if you add up what you’d spend in a traditional swim program for a few weeks during the summer – where they leave the class with little to no skills – and then multiply that by every summer until they are 6 years old, this program costs significantly less and the value is infinitely greater.
Working out a payment plan is a great option for families who may be a bit overwhelmed at the cost, particularly with siblings enrolled. Please inquire with your instructor about options to spread payments out a bit before and during a session.
Lessons missed by the family for illness, vacation, late start date, etc. will not be made up or credited because lessons are priced by the skill set (Swim Float Swim or Rollback to Float) rather than priced by the lesson or the week. There will be an additional charge after the 3rd missed session. Families will be charged $30 per missed lesson due to vacations/late start day/missed sessions.
It's important to note that 6 weeks to learn is an average..some kids need less time and some need more! If a child needs more time to finish with reliable skills, more time will be carved out for them (likely in a subsequent session) and tuition will be waived or discounted so long as # absences in their initial learning have been reasonable & excused. If a child finishes in less time and the parent & instructor agree that the child can shift to a Maintenance schedule before the end of 6 weeks, it's just less time the family needs to devote to getting them there daily for their initial learning.
That said, lessons WILL be made up or credited if the instructor needs to cancel lessons for any reason- illness, pool issues, etc.
The ISR program is for infants and children aged 6 months-6 years, but really there is no upper age limit! A little one must be at least 6 months AND must be able to sit in an upright position independently to begin sessions. The transition to swim team is seamless for our older swimmers. ISR teaches a head down swim and roll back that is easily modified for side breathing.
These are some of the most common questions and concerns from parents who watch ISR videos and wonder....HOW in the world is that possible?! And is it safe?
ISR with a real, Certified ISR Instructor is indeed safe. Our training to become certified is a rigorous process, as it should be given the vulnerable population we serve. Your child's medical and development history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process (this info is kept confidential) and their health and well-being are closely monitored by their instructor daily.
As for teaching young/non-verbal children to hold their breath, this is our first and highest priority in lessons. We shape breath control in all students using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques and continue to reinforce proper breath control throughout all lessons.
Lastly, dry drowning is an outdated term that terrifies many parents but is not a recognized medical term. It has been sensationalized by the media and sensationalized in tv/film. Drowning does not happen days after being in water and it is also not something to be concerned about in ISR lessons given the level of training of the instructor as well as numerous safety protocols employed to ensure safe lessons for all students. There are 3 types of drowning: fatal, non-fatal, and non-fatal with injury. If any person has a drowning event they should be seen by a medical professional immediately for monitoring and necessary care to avoid further complications and/or injury.
Here are some reputable sources where you can read more about the subject:
- American College of Emergency Physicians, Critical Decisions in Emergency Medicine, Volume 32, Number 9 https://bit.ly/3geqls6
- @ameracadpeds, Prevention of Drowning, May 2019, 143 (5) e20190850; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0850
- @uofmichigan, Dispelling ‘Dry Drowning’ and Other Swimming Safety Myths https://bit.ly/3Co81Fz
Absolutely! We teach children to have a healthy respect for the water, and we work in very small increments each day. We present children with small achievable tasks and always set them up to succeed. They learn to trust their skills, and in turn, they gain an incredible amount of confidence in the water.
Some children cry the first few lessons due to anxiety. He is in a new building with a pool he's never been to being handed into the water to a stranger - it's normal for him to be wary of the situation! It's important for us to teach your child to trust his/her instructor and eventually to trust the water. Many kids can't wait to come to lessons by the end of the first week!
Remember, fear is a learned behavior. We didn't come out of the womb afraid of spiders or water or large dogs. When someone has a negative experience that involves the fearful object or experience, fear is developed. Your child will only truly be fearful of the water if he or she has witnessed or experienced a traumatic aquatic event.
ISR might not be the right fit for your family. Parents who have lost a child to drowning will tell you they'd give everything to hear their child cry again. If it makes you uncomfortable to hear your child cry, think about what it would feel like to never have the opportunity to hear him at all. And more importantly, remember some of the reasons children cry...putting them in the car seat, changing a diaper, when they are hungry, when they are tired.
- Read through the information on this website. When you are ready to proceed, email Beck Hastings at beckwith.hastings@infantswim.com. An auto responder email will come right back to you with next steps. Throughout most of the year the message will offer a link to any currently available schedules/slots or will instruct you to add your child’s name to the waitlist to hear about upcoming enrollment opportunities as soon as they are available.
- Keep your eyes peeled for email and social media announcements about upcoming enrollment opportunities. When schedules open they tend to fill VERY quickly! Once you go through the process of selecting a slot you will need to secure it within 24 hours with a $350/student non-refundable, non-transferable deposit via Venmo.
- About 4 weeks prior to lessons, you will receive a link to register your child with ISR (This is a one-time $105 fee for new students, $35 annual fee for returning students) as well as a link to your Parent Resource Handbook + various start docs from your instructor. Please read through and complete the required documentation prior to the start of lessons. Your tuition balance will be due in Week 1 of lessons.
- You will receive an email from your instructor approximately 1 week before lessons begin which includes directions to the pool location, BUDS sheets information, ISR Policies & a Welcome letter that contains many helpful hints and reminders to get your child’s ISR lessons started.
- When you enrolled initially, you paid a non-refundable & non-transferable tuition deposit to lock in your child’s slot. Some sessions may also require an advance payment of the tuition balance with the same terms.
- The non-refundable and non-transferrable verbiage is mentioned multiple times during the digital enrollment process to ensure everyone is aware of the policy prior to committing to a session of lessons.
- While we totally understand “life things” come up that may throw a wrench in your plans to participate, the business incurs hard costs to be able to guarantee your child their slot in the specific session you originally selected, hence the non-refundable/nontransferable terms.
- As a small business, we thank you in advance for understanding why this policy is in place and why it needs to be strictly enforced, regardless of the circumstances behind the request.
- If you wish to make a change you can consider on of the following options”
- If your lesson slot time (not the session dates) are the issue, you can inquire with your instructor if there are any other slots in your current session still available or if any have come available last minute. Many sessions do book out fully ~6 mos in advance, but you have flexible timing there is the possibility we may be able to accommodate a shift in lesson time. Please note this is very unlikely in highly sought after sessions (Spring, Summer) and at certain times of day (pre-9a). That said, if we are able to help accommodate a shift in lesson time with your current session we will, and you will not need to forfeit your deposit.
- **If the session dates are the issue, or if the slot time is the issue and you cannot shift within the session you are enrolled in, you can forfeit your deposit and rebook a new slot for your child in a different session during the next enrollment opportunity. You will need to submit a new deposit to lock in your new selection.
- Once your child completes the session, he/she is fully skilled to survive an aquatic emergency and in most cases has a successful rollback-to-float or swim-float-swim sequence. Despite being skilled, there is no substitute for adult supervision and parents should still employ layers of protection-pool fences, pool alarms, door alarms, etc.
- It is essential to make a plan with your instructor before your child’s initial session of learning ends if you want to keep your child’s skills intact for the future. Confidence Builders are suggested for most students at a cadence of 3 consecutive sessions monthly/quarterly when available. Growth Tune-Ups-2-3 weeks of daily lessons every 3-6 months are another option, but are limited in availability. Confidence Builders are the primary offering for returning students.
- While confidence builders/growth tune ups are fully optional, not making a plan/not participating will make it more difficult to get back on the schedule in future sessions, particularly at high demand times of day (before 9am). ***You have to attend confidence builders to be on the confidence builder schedule, you can’t come and go as you wish, nor is it possible to “choose your own” cadence for returning to lessons. *** This is because all slots not earmarked for current confidence builder students are being opened as full session slots for new students.
- Once your child is ready we can help make a recommendation for a swim instructor who can take their skills further…learning strokes, swim mechanics, etc. should we determine their self-rescue skills are not at risk of being lost by doing so!
Traditional Swim Lessons FAQs
Yes! We offer lessons to all ages, skill levels, and needs, from 3 years old through adults.
Both are offered. The decision for small group versus individual sessions is made through parent discussion and level of individualized attention needed for the safety of swimmers.
Lessons are held year-round in the Greater Williamsburg area for ISR, therapeutic swim, and traditional swim sessions.
Evening sessions are held in Newport News for traditional and therapeutic swim. We are thrilled to work with families who have come as far as VA Beach and Suffolk.
Absolutely! We want you and your child to feel safe and confident in the learning environment.
Yes! Follow our Facebook page for announcements about drop-in sessions offered on school days off/holidays.
More Information
Speech & Swim has recently expanded to a program offered by Hastings Family Therapy.
Beckwith Hastings heard the need and expanded what was offered based on parent request.
Hastings Family Therapy is a private practice offering:
Speech & Swim,
traditional speech language therapy,
speech language therapy evaluations,
occupational therapy,
occupational therapy evaluations,
reading
and math tutoring.
We are approved by the Virginia Department of Education and offer in person or remote services (traditional therapy, reading tutor, math tutor) on your schedule to fit your needs.
Beck is the founder of Speech & Swim™. She holds a bachelor’s in Communication Studies from Christopher Newport University and a Master’s in Speech Pathology from Longwood University. Beck also earned a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology, a nationally recognized professional credential from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She worked for nearly 20 years teaching speech therapy in the schools and hospitals. Beck founded Speech & Swim in 2019.
Beck is also a Certified Instructor in Infant Swim Resources (ISR).
Email info@speechandswim.com
For ISR specific inquiries beckwith.hastings@infantswim.com
For traditional therapy or tutoring
beckwith@hastingsfamilytherapy.com