How to Teach a Special Needs Parent & Child Class

Are you a learn-to-swim instructor teaching parent and child groups for babies and toddlers?

Have you noticed some of your little swimmers struggling with sensory sensitivities or showing discomfort in the water? Perhaps some are even receiving early intervention services for sensory issues and motor delays?

The aquatic environment offers a unique opportunity to support younger children (babies, toddlers, and preschoolers) alongside their parents. This is especially true for those with special needs, because the magical properties of the water provide powerful therapeutic benefits, allowing them to develop essential developmental skills through playful, and natural activities alongside their parents.

Let’s jump in and discover how to empower your parents to learn therapeutic skills for their child in a group swim class. This will also create opportunities for valuable connection and bonding with both their child and other families in the group class.

The Benefits of Early Water Introduction

Introducing children to water at an early age can foster a lifelong love of water where they can regulate their sensory needs and continuously strengthen their bodies. By becoming comfortable in and around water from a young age, children develop confidence and learn crucial skills for self-rescue and drowning prevention.

Incorporating a therapy-based approach into parent & child swim classes can offer profound benefits. This is especially true for little ones with special needs. This approach addresses their unique sensory, motor, and developmental needs in a supportive and engaging environment. It also provides activities for strengthening their bodies in an enjoyable way.

Explore 5 Benefits of Infant Swim Classes

  • Can Support Physical Development

    • Muscle Strength and Coordination: The water’s buoyancy helps toddlers to move more freely and use their muscles in new ways. This in turn strengthens their core, arms, and legs. It also improves overall coordination and motor skills.
    • Gross Motor Skills: Activities like kicking, splashing, and reaching in the water enhance gross motor skills, such as balance, coordination, body awareness and how to use both sides of their bodies equally.
    • Cardiovascular Health: Continuous movement in the water can improve cardiovascular fitness and circulation.

  • May Contribute to Cognitive Development

    • Sensory Stimulation: Impact on multiple senses, including touch, sight, and hearing. This sensory input with specific movement can enhance brain development as well as improve sensory integration.
    • Body Awareness: The water’s resistance and buoyancy help children develop a better understanding of their body in space. This can help to improve their balance and coordination on land as well.
    • Cause and Effect: Babies learn about cause and effect through their actions in the water. For example, they discover that kicking their legs creates splashes and movement.

  • Supports Social-Emotional Development

    • Bonding and Attachment: Parent-child swim classes provide opportunities for close physical contact and interaction, strengthening the bond between parent and child.
    • Confidence and Self-Esteem: Mastering new skills in the water builds confidence and self-esteem in young children.
    • Social Interaction: Group swim classes offer opportunities for social interaction with other children and families.
  • Learn Water Safety

    • Reduced Fear and Anxiety: Early exposure to water helps children become comfortable and confident in and around water. Remember that children of all ages must always be supervised in and near water.
    • Essential Water Safety Skills: Children can learn basic water safety skills from an early age, such as floating, holding their breath, taking the side, and turning onto their back. These skills can contribute to significantly increase their chances of survival in case of an accidental fall into water.
    • Drowning Prevention: Early water introduction, combined with consistent supervision and other water safety measures, contributes to drowning prevention efforts.

  • Other Benefits

    • Improved Sleep: Physical activity in the water can help babies and young children sleep better.
    • Relaxation and Stress Relief: The warm water can have a relaxing and calming effect on babies and children, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
    • Self-Regulation: The combination of sensory input and movement, help children feel more regulated and maintain an optimal state of arousal where they can be calmer and more focused.

10 Things To Include in a Parent & Child Swim Class

Make sure to include the following in your classes:

  • Establish a routine at the start with a social component to connect everyone.
  • Use visual supports so everyone understands the expectations of the class, and has easier transitions between activities.

  • Movement in all directions to give sensory input (vestibular input) to promote self-regulation (up /down, side/side and for some in a circle).

  • Include activities considered “heavy work” (proprioceptive input) where the muscles are activated by climbing, kicking, holding the side of the pool and making a train along the wall, turning and reaching for toys with two hands (trunk rotation- core strengthening).

  • Get comfortable with getting the swimmer’s face wet, and getting lip closure with bubbles, humming, using rain buckets and firmly wiping their face after it gets wet.

  • Familiarity with body in space for the swimmer, both on their belly and back.

  • Rhythmical catchy rhymes or songs help young children process the transitions between activities or expectations of a new skill to be worked on.
  • Safety skills introduction of waiting at the side before jumping in, asking permission before entering the pool etc.
  • Introduce swim skills such as floating, kicking, scooping and going under as they are ready. Be flexible as you may give different activities to different students depending on their ability.

  • End with a familiar routine bringing back the social connection with each other. The routine is important and it signals the transition that class is now ending.

Learn our Therapy-Based Skills for Teaching Parent & Child Classes

We’ve touched on the power of vestibular and proprioceptive input in the water, but there’s so much more to discover. Our “Parent & Child Swim: Therapeutic Approaches” course offers a comprehensive exploration of therapy-based aquatic teaching skills, covering a wide range of techniques and strategies to support children with diverse needs.

Want to learn more about how to effectively use these techniques and others like them in your own classes? Dive into the world of ‘Parent & Child Aquatics’ where we explore therapeutic concepts to transform swim experiences in young children of all abilities.

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.”