KelsKids provides swim lessons, surf camps, and aquatic safety programs for children with special needs. The organization was founded in 2011 after statistics showed drowning was a leading cause of death for people with autism. Children with autism are often drawn to water without understanding dangers. KelsKids helps children with disabilities learn swimming and water safety skills through patience and specialized instruction. The organization aims to give all children the opportunity to enjoy water activities.

1. KelsKids
“Saving & Changing Lives, One
SPLASH at a Time”

2. Kellie Maier,
Founder and Program
Manager

3. Swim Lessons, Surf camps,
Aquatic Safety, & Special
Events for All Special Needs

4. 2011 statistics
found Drowning to
be Leading Cause
of Death in People
with Autism

5. Because, Sometimes,
Autism Doesn’t Speak

6. Children with autism are
typically drawn to water
Without Caution or
Understanding of Danger

7. In 2011, statistics
also showed - 1 in
91 are being
diagnosed with
Autism Spectrum
Disorder

8. To Get an Idea, It doesn’t
take long to fill up a bucket
when you pick up
1 in every 91

9. With a Large Percentage
of People with Autism
being non verbal,
without even the ability
or understanding to cry
for Help, many have
Drowned.

10. WHY THEY DIE?..Water
is soft & exerts equal,
unchanging pressure
evenly across the body,
thereby preventing the
trigger of painful touch
issues often found with
tactile and sensory
dysfunction.

11. Every Contribution Gets
KelsKids one Step Closer to
the Goal of, “Saving &
Changing Lives, One SPLASH
at a Time”

13. LET’S GET THEM ALL IN
THE WATER !

14. Peer Tutoring

15. STEPHEN – 21
YEAR OLD
ASSISTANT
SWIM
INSTRUCTOR,
HE WAS BORN
WITH DOWNS
SYNDROME

16. This is From Stephen
I am 21 years old. I was born with
Down Syndrome but I can still swim. I
help some kids learn how to swim. I
have this opportunity because KelsKids
believes that people like me can learn
at every level. I have watched a lot of
kids learn to like water like I do. They
don't want to listen or put their face in
the water at first. After a while they
learn.
It is important to be safe near water.
Love, Stephen Todd

17. Stephen Shares his passion
for the water & knowledge
of swimming with friend
Mika

18. Stephen’s Celebratory
Sprinkler Dance

22. Pool Parties for All Shapes, Sizes
and Abilities!

23. Birthday Parties Everyone Can
Participate In

24. KelsKids Instructors Make
Patience Look Easy

25. “Needless to say, the logistics are
challenging, but Kellie made it seem
effortless, and more importantly FUN!
The benefits gained from enrolling my
daughter included: physical exercise,
sensory integration, bringing forth
language, socialization, and most
importantly, the ability to learn to be
SAFE in the water.”

26. KelsKids
Helps
Add A
Little
More
Quality to
Whatever
Quantity
of Life
They Get

27. BROTHERS

29. Every Child in this Pool has
some type of diagnosed
disability, KelsKids helps to
equalize them all

30. All of the children in this
video clip have Autism and
All of them SWIM without
assistance

31. With Cerebral Palsy starting lessons
in a large local hotels hot tub is just
right for relaxing muscles

32. KelsKids SAY, “I WILL TRY !”

33. KelsKids Try, and TRY
and TRY

34. ZAN’s LEARNING CEREBRAL
PALSY JUST MEANS,….
SOMETIMES, I HAVE TO WORK
A LITTLE BIT HARDER

35. & THEIR HARD WORK PAYS
OFF

36. KelsKids MAKE OVERCOME
CHALLENGES LOOK EASY

37. Over 60 special needs
children came out for a
Father’s Day gift not soon
forgotten-
PADDLEBOARD PARTY

39. PRICELESS

40. “The director of this organization has
tremendous devotion to see that our
children with special needs progress
with success at their individual pace.
With her leadership and foresight, she
brought together committed as well as
compassionate assistants. The children
and instructors were in the ocean,
playing in the sand, making a craft
relevant to the day's events, or taking
swimming lessons at an indoor pool.”

42. KelsKids Makes It Difficult
to pick out who has a
disability

43. NOT EVEN DEGENERATIVE
MUSCULAR DISORDERS CAN
DISCOURAGE KELSKIDS

44. As his daddy watched from
the beach, he got to say
with pride,
“THAT’S MY BOY !”

45. No words Needed to Know
this Kid is Proud of his
accomplishment !
(He’s 7yr old, non verbal with
Autism

48. Reluctant and Nervous 20
year old boy with Downs
Syndrome

49. With Patience and
Encouragement, STANDS UP
to the Challenge

50. All things are possible !

51. Fun for the whole Family

53. This child with cerebral
palsy may not be able to run
and jump but he can move
independently on the board

55. Adopted from a
Russian
Orphanage, has
Downs
Syndrome, uses
sign language to
communicate,
Now she
SWIMS, laughs
and plays in
pool like any
other kid

56. NON VERBAL PEER PRESSURE
“JUMP !”

57. Every
$210.00
raised
sponsors a
child at the
typical
number of
lessons for
success