Breakthrough to your Inner Dolphin!
My coaching staff and I recently had Cindy Freedman from Swim Angelfish train us in her company’s “Swim Whisperer” method. The name SWIM WHISPERER is an acronym for the 14 road blocks to learning to swim common in children who are autistic or have sensory or physical difficulties.
To get more information on our programs to help children with autism or sensory processing difficulties overcome these roadblocks and become safe and efficient swimmers, refer to our page on Special Abilities Swim Lessons.
What are the SWIM WHISPERER Roadblocks?
By identifying the road blocks and with the tools to break through, we can speed the learning process for children with special needs. The fourteen roadblocks in the SWIM WHISPERER acronym are:
- S: Safety concerns — Children who fail to understand the consequences of going into the water
- W: Water properties as they relate to the sensory system — Understanding how the properties of hydrostatic pressure, turbulence, buoyancy, viscosity, and surface tension can be used to satiate a child’s need for sensory input
- I: “I can’t touch that!” — Children who don’t want to be touched or don’t want to touch equipment
- M: Making a child go under water successfully
- W: “What did I say?” — Children who have difficulty converting verbal messages into instructions
- H: “How do I control my body?”
- I: “I’m not going on my back!”
- S: Seeking sensory input — Children who constantly want to go under, splash, or spit water
- P: Petrified to let go of the side
- E: Engagement and interaction — Ability to get and keep a child engaged in the lesson
- R: Reacts extremely when getting splashed
- E: Excessive drinking of the pool water
- R: Ritual and routine to increase comfort
- S: Success with swim strokes
We like the Swim Whisperer method because it adds on nicely to our existing teaching systems. We see Swim Whisperers as an invaluable resource to us as coaches to preparing a child to be receptive to the learning process.
Taking the Next Step with a CBD Swim Whisperer
If you have taken your child to swim lessons, and she has experienced on or more of these roadblocks, contact our office and we’ll set up an assessment lesson with your child.
There’s too much water in this world to safely enjoy to procrastinate another minute.