How do I group my special needs swimmers? This is a question many swim instructors and aquatic managers wonder about. Should we put a swim group together by swim ability, age, or maybe even by diagnosis? The answer is that there is no set recipe and flexibility is the key to success. Sometimes the most unlikely age, ability, and swim level will connect with each other and prove to be the best semi-private or small group.

At Swim Angelfish we strive to offer our adaptive swimmers multiple options for social interaction and group swim opportunities. We wanted to share 5 innovative ideas that will help you create adaptive swim groups to complement your swim program goals. Whether you are a parent, swim instructor, or diversity & inclusion director, these tips will open your mind to new program ideas.

5 Innovative Ideas for Creating an Inclusive Semi-private or Small Group Swim Class

Think about the strengths and unique abilities of your swimmers and how they might react in these various scenarios. Talk with their parents to agree on an approach to help them progress through these adaptive swim group options, in a time frame that will work best for their swimmer, and give these ideas a try:

  • Add a sibling or a friend for 15 minutes of their private swim lesson.
    This will give you the information you need to determine how the swimmer is able to pay attention when more than one person is in the class. Using familiar friends is key so that the swimmer will avoid having to work on engagement and interaction with a new person.

  • Work side-by-side with another instructor for a 30-minute lesson.
    During this swim time, you can understand the flexibility of the swimmer by ‘trading’ swimmers. Each instructor can work on the transition to different swim coaches and help their students to see the differences in the two coach’s personalities. Additionally, you can assess the opportunity of a group swim option in this scenario, by working on social skills. Try some of these ideas to develop social skills, teamwork and cooperation: ask your swimmers to high 5, request that they copy each other’s swim skills and encourage them to play a few swim games together.

  • Add another swimmer for a 15-minute overlap versus an entire 30 minutes.
    This modification can be a game-changer for someone that is really trying to pay attention but has limited capacity to do that for an entire 30 minutes. More often than not, this will lead to success as you will be able to extend to a 30-minute semi-private lesson and then graduate to a small group.

    Watch our transition tips tutorial How to Progress to a Group Swim Lesson which will give insight into how a student handles the increased stimulation of having a peer. This is a great way to see how your student follows directions, processes information and whether or not they are motivated or distracted by having a peer.

  • Consider an adaptive swim group that has swim skill and socialization goals.
    Many parents are seeking social interactions for their children as well as wanting them to learn water safety and develop swimming skills.

    This idea helps to integrate children with diverse and special needs into a group, that focuses on strong swim skill development goals as well as socialization goals such as; teamwork, confidence building, and enjoying physical exercise in the water with peers.

    At one of our Swim Angelfish® locations, we have created a swim squad. This small group has 4 children aged between 5-9 years old, each with a different diagnosis including Down Syndrome, Autism, Motor coordination, and ADHD. Our Swim Squad has 2 goals; 1) Develop social competency by interacting with each other and 2) Learn swim skill benchmarks (including core stroke techniques) to become safer in, near, and around, water.

    To encourage social interaction within our swim squad sessions, students take turns to be the leader of a train around the pool, they ‘high ten’ their friends, say each other’s names, and recite a team cheer. Motivation, cooperation, laughter, and friendship outside of the pool are just some of the additional benefits of this type of group.

  • Create a diverse swim club.
    A swim/H2o Club, facilitated by a trained adaptive swim instructor, with swimmers of any age and ability gives an inclusive aquatic programming option to students with diverse needs. Ideally, the instructor should have advanced training in adaptive aquatics so that they can support swimmers with special needs more effectively.

How to Keep Swimmers of Different Abilities Engaged in a Fast-Paced Swim Group or Team

Do you find it challenging to keep swimmers of all abilities engaged in your fast-paced swim groups? We share 4 creative tips to keep everyone motivated and participating, from sensory drills to leadership roles, all designed to build a strong, inclusive team environment.

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 Tisser, a pediatric Physical Therapist with over 30 years of experience and co-founder of Swim Angelfish® and the Swim Whisperers® method, specializes in aquatic therapy and adaptive swim for children with special needs. Trained in NDT, DIR/Floortime, and certified as an Autism Specialist and Primitive Reflex Specialist she fosters water safety, confidence, and independence in her young clients. Ailene is also passionate about educating aquatic professionals, setting a standard of excellence for adaptive aquatics training and professional development.

Cindy Freedman, MOTR, Founder

Cindy, MS, OTR/L is an occupational and recreational therapist with over 30 years of experience specializing in pediatrics and aquatics. Driven by a passion for helping children with special needs reach their full potential, Cindy co-founded Swim Angelfish, an organization dedicated to providing adaptive swim and aquatic therapy services as well as professional training. Her expertise in sensory integration, reflex repatterning, and aquatics, coupled with her love for water and experience as a national champion diver, has enabled her to make a profound impact on the lives of countless children. Cindy is certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES, and shows an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children with special needs.