Are you a swim instructor struggling to work with students who have trouble paying attention? It might be really hard for them to concentrate, or it could be an underlying auditory processing disorder (APD).

As swim instructors, we tend to talk quickly and repeat our instructions. Add to this the background noise in an indoor swimming pool, and the chances are that some swimmers could be struggling to hear, interpret and then process instructions. This can pose a swim safety risk because clear communication between instructor and student is essential to keep students safe in the water.

As the adaptive swim experts, we want to give you 3 sure fire ways to communicate more effectively with your students and help your swimmers who learn differently.

Swim Safety and Processing Disorders

There are several types of processing disorders such as visual processing, sensory processing, cognitive processing, and auditory processing whereby receiving, processing, and responding to information via these various senses, can be challenging.

Many of the signs and symptoms of these various processing disorders can be shared, confused, or hidden by other disorders such as learning disabilities (LD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD). Therefore, it is important to talk to the parents and caregivers of your student to better understand the conditions relating to each individual. This way, you can identify underlying roadblocks before moving on to teaching swim skills.

There are many benefits of learning to swim for people with Learning Difficulties or Processing Disorders. Gaining swim skills can help to build confidence, develop social skills, teach water safety awareness as well as become a lifelong leisure pursuit that will increase overall health and well-being.

Swimming can be good for someone with auditory processing because they can go underwater and wash away all the stimuli to become regulated. Sometimes it can be beneficial to have them work on their back, with their ears in the water, to block out all the noise and concentrate on swim skills like backstroke.

By adapting your swim lesson to teach water safety skills, you can help to improve outcomes for those at higher risk of drowning.

3 Strategies to Help Improve Communication in Your Lesson

We have 3 strategies to help teach swim skills to students who are struggling to pay attention or who may have an underlying Auditory Processing Disorder.

  • Allow a long pause after you give instructions (at least 10 seconds!)

    Why? It allows time for the swimmer to process the directions without being interrupted by more directions.

    • Use simple & fewer words like, “First [this], then [that].”
    • Check your self-awareness to decrease talking too much, with complex speech.
    • When you keep repeating without waiting, it is likely they will begin to reprocess the entire sentence and never be able to process the instruction.
  • Use a Visual Schedule

    Why? This allows them to anticipate the expectations and often improves ability to process the directions.

    • Use to explain what is happening “now” and what is going to happen “next”.
    • It can help you to introduce a new task or activity and communicate a sequence of upcoming events.
    • Learn how to make a waterproof visual schedule.
  • Add rhythm and timing in a sing song voice

    Why? This will help to reset the swimmer’s ability to HEAR you by accessing a different attention center of the brain.

    • Base, tone, rhythm, timing, and cadence talks to a whole different part of your brain.
    • Have the swimmer repeat the directions back to you.
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.”