A swim instructor sitting on the edge of a backyard pool next to a young boy on the top step, both looking down at the water.

Queen Creek, Arizona

One kid,
one instructor,
one quiet pool.

Adaptive and beginner swim lessons for kids with autism, sensory needs, and water anxiety. Thirty minutes, one at a time, in a heated backyard pool.

Ask about a first lesson Call or text 480-555-0142

Always 1:1No group classes, ever

Water at 90 degreesHeated year round

ESA acceptedInvoiced through ClassWallet

Who is teaching

I spent six years as a special education aide before I ever taught a lesson.

Most of that was kindergarten through third grade here in Queen Creek. A lot of those kids were scared of water, and a lot of them had already sat through a group lesson that went badly.

So I got my lifeguard certification and my adaptive aquatics training, and I teach out of my own pool. One kid at a time. Thirty minutes. No whistle, no line of kids waiting on the wall, no echo off a rec center ceiling.

I do not teach strokes. I teach a kid how to get back to the wall and how to roll onto their back and breathe. If your kid wants freestyle after that, I will hand you the number of a good team.

I have worked with nonverbal kids, kids with cerebral palsy, kids who use a gait trainer on the deck, and a lot of kids who are simply scared of it. Tell me what your kid needs on the phone and I will tell you honestly whether I am the right person.

Kayla Prieto, owner. ARC lifeguard certified, adaptive aquatics trained, fingerprint clearance card on file.

The first four lessons

Here is exactly what happens, so nobody walks in guessing.

We sit on the step

Feet in the water for the whole thirty minutes. Nobody goes in. I show your kid the steps, the rail, the towel chair, and where you will be sitting.

Worked when your kid got in the water on their own.

Water on hands, then arms, then hair

Cups and a watering can. We pour, in that order, and we stop at whatever step is too much today. Face is last, and only if your kid asks for it.

Worked when water on the face got boring.

Into the shallow end, holding the wall

Both hands on the wall, walking the wall side to side, then blowing bubbles at the surface. My hand stays on their back the entire time unless they tell me otherwise.

Worked when they let go of my arm for a second.

Back float on my hands

Hands under the shoulders and head, ears in the water, looking at the sky. This is the one that actually keeps a kid alive, so we take as long as it takes.

Worked when they laid back without me asking twice.

Some kids spend a month on lesson one. That is a normal month, and I will not push your kid down the list to make the schedule look better.

The pool

A backyard, not a facility.

An instructor's hands supporting a child in a rash guard and goggles floating on their back at the surface of a bright pool.

Water temperature: Held at 90 degrees all year with a heat pump. Cold water is the fastest way to lose a nervous kid, so I pay the gas bill instead.
Who else is there: Nobody. Lessons are booked forty five minutes apart so you never cross paths with another family in the driveway.
Sound: No whistle and no music. I talk quietly and I do not count down. The pump runs on low during every lesson.
Gear from home: Bring the goggles, ear plugs, rash guard, or headphones your kid already trusts. Chew necklaces stay on until they get in.
Where you sit: On the deck, six feet away, the whole time. There is shade, a fan, a chair, and room for siblings.
Come look first: You can bring your kid to walk the deck and touch the water before you book anything. That visit is free and takes ten minutes.

Cost and schedule

No registration fee, no membership, no session you have to buy into.

One lesson, 30 minutes: $55
Block of four lessons: $200
Paid up front, good for ninety days. This is the block most families start with.
Days: Tuesday through Saturday, year round. I do not close for summer.
Times: 8:00am to 11:00am and 4:00pm to 6:30pm. Morning slots are quieter and cooler on the deck.
Bring: A towel, a swim diaper if you use one, and dry clothes. I have spare goggles in four sizes.
Cancellations: Text me any time before the lesson and I will move it. Hard days happen. Weather cancellations are free.
Empowerment Scholarship: I am a registered ESA vendor and I invoice through ClassWallet. Send me your student number and I will handle the paperwork.

ESA accepted Listed on AZ Ed Vendors

Ask about a first lesson

Tell me about your kid and I will answer the same day.

Faster than the form

Call or text 480-555-0142

Texting is usually best. I am in the pool most of the day and I answer between lessons.

1. We talk on the phone: Ten minutes. You tell me what your kid is like in water and what has already been tried.
2. You come see the pool: Bring your kid. Walk the deck, touch the water, leave. Free, and it takes ten minutes.
3. We book lesson one: Usually within the same week. Pay for the single lesson first if you want to.

One kid,one instructor,one quiet pool.