Have you ever wondered about the benefits of water for people with physical limitations?

Water is particularly beneficial for those with limited mobility. The water helps to support the body, makes movement easier, and relieves stress on joints.

We truly believe that water has magical properties. It provides gentle and effective resistance combined with buoyancy and uniform pressure to positively impact range of movement, coordination and body awareness. It provides greater freedom of movement for individuals with motor difficulties, physical limitations or disabilities. Swimming has also been found to positively affect mental health, improving mood, cognitive function and decreasing anxiety. What’s not to love about swimming!

How to swim with a physical disability

Watch our essential tips and advice on Adaptive Swimming with Physical Limitations and learn how to support your swimmer to maximize their abilities, helping them to become more independent in the water.

Swimming with any physical limitation can be achieved by using appropriate equipment and putting into place a well-thought-out plan that has been adapted to meet the needs of each individual. Recognizing your own physical limitations is also important when it comes to teaching or caring for swimmers in and around water.

Swimming is a great choice for everyone!

We understand that living with physical limitations is challenging. We believe that everyone can experience the amazing benefits of water when you understand these limitations, plan to accommodate them and ensure water safety. Check out these case studies!

Our mission is to reduce drowning statistics by providing advanced adaptive training to swim instructors and aquatic therapists to teach children of all abilities how to be safer and more independent in the water.

For more information on how to bring the Swim Whisperers® Program to your community, email cert@swimangelfish.com.

Looking for Aquatic Therapist Training?

We can give you the tools you need to help special needs clients achieve therapy goals and improve their independence in the water.

Learn new treatment and handling techniques, understand how to integrate reflexes and overcome roadblocks to help your pediatric clients achieve their therapy goals. We have 4 in-depth online courses to choose from.

Our online training courses will help you strengthen your aquatic therapy skills and allow you to earn CEU’s. Our on-demand platform makes learning flexible to fit into your schedule.

Dive into Our Specialized Pediatric Aquatic Therapy Program!

The unique program that Swim Angelfish offers is created by an OT/PT team with over 60 years combined experience. We have experienced Recreation, Occupational, and Physical therapists who are specifically trained in pediatric aquatic therapy. We use a fun, innovative and multi-sensory approach using the therapeutic properties of the water to reach your specific therapy goals.

We can help improve self-regulation, motor coordination, strength, balance, endurance, and more. There are several options for therapy sessions depending on your needs, including private, semi-private, and small group sessions.

Ailene Tisser, MA, PT, Founder

Ailene is a pediatric Physical Therapist with more than 25 years of experience treating a variety of diagnoses, both in and out of the water. She is NDT (Neuro-Developmental Treatment) trained in pediatrics and is trained in DIR/Floortime. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. Ailene brings all of her Physical Therapy expertise into the water, where she helps children of all abilities feel safe, confident, and independent. She combines her passion and skill for working with children with special needs with the therapeutic properties of the water to achieve amazing results. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience by educating other Aquatic Professionals so that they can also make a significant impact on the lives of swimmers with special needs.

Cindy Freedman, MOTR, Founder

Cindy is a recreational therapist and an Occupational therapist. After working for ten years as a recreational therapist in a variety of settings, she pursued a Master’s degree in OT. Her career as an OT includes specialty training in sensory integration, reflex repatterning, and aquatics. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. As a swimmer and national champion diver, Her love of the water combined with her education and work experience created them an opportunity for Swim Angelfish to become a reality! “Our mission is to create an aquatic community of trained instructors so that together we can decrease the alarming statistic of drowning being the leading cause of death for children with special needs.”