Toddler Swimming with physical disabilities?

[SoonerSarah]

We have only gone swimming once in a big pool (several times in backyard kiddie pool) since Kenleys accident. The one time we went, I realized that she was over the weight limit on her float, weight limit is 25 pounds. I figure it's ok to be a bit over, but she is approaching 30 pounds and I need to start figuring something else out.

Does anyone have recommendations on specific floats, or websites that will sell some with higher weight limits?

Thanks!

 

[bookwormde]

Unless there is some reason why they will not work you should be looking at a standard life vest.

 

[SueM in MN]

When DD was little, we found standard life vests to have issues with actually playing or moving in the water. They are designed to keep a person vertical or on their back with their head up in the water. The large size of the life vest made it difficult to hold onto DD and the size of the armholes interfered with her ability to move her arms.

There are other devices made for swimming and you should be able to get some recommendations from her therapists about what would work best in her particular situation.
When my DD took swimming, she used some devices similar to these:

Boppa Water Buoyancy Device

Konfidence Swim jacket with adjustable bouyancy - like a life preserver, but changing around the bouyancy pads allows for different positions in the water.

She also used a mat type thing, which floated her just under the water. It was kind of similar to the one on this site - Danmar, which has a variety of products.

There are also swim suits with built in flotation devices. They come in sizes to fit toddlers on up.
Here’s one place with a good variety.

 

[SoonerSarah]

Thanks for the links, I really like the swim jacket, but I'm not sure if she will tolerate that. I did see in the bottom link a picture of a suit with a built in inner tube, and that might work for her.

We do have life jackets and she goes completely beserk in it and bites the shoulder on her left side. She doesn't seem to tolerate extra items at her shoulders anymore.

 

[karliebug]

my child is not disabled, but we bought a swimsuit at walmart for about $20 that had floaties built in. She looked a little like a barrel in it but it kept her afloat and she could move well in it. No buckles like a jacket and it didn't intefere with her movement at all. Maybe one of those would work?