A Guide to Sensory Seekers and Avoiders

Swim instructors are seeing more and more swimmers with sensory sensitivities — whether that shows up as difficulty following directions, fear of the water, constant movement, or trouble staying regulated during lessons. Understanding why these behaviors happen is the first step toward helping every swimmer feel safer, calmer, and more successful in the pool.

At Swim Angelfish, Co-Founders Ailene Tisser, MA, PT (Physical Therapist) and Cindy Freedman, MOT, OTR (Occupational Therapist) have spent decades integrating sensory processing techniques into the water to improve how their swimmers learn. Their Adaptive Swim Whisperers® Method is built on helping instructors recognize sensory needs and uses simple, effective strategies to support them in the water.

We break down the two most common sensory profiles you’ll see in your lessons — Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders. This guide provides clear steps you can use right away to help your swimmer feel regulated, confident, and ready to learn.

Table of Contents

Understanding Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders

Every swimmer processes sensory input differently. For many children with Autism or sensory sensitivities, the pool environment can either feel soothing… or overwhelming. Understanding Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders helps you recognize behaviors and respond in ways that support learning, safety, and confidence.

Sensory Seekers

Sensory Seekers crave extra input to feel organized and calm. In swim lessons, they often:

  • Move constantly
  • Seek out spinning or going under water
  • Crash, push, or jump repeatedly
  • Have trouble focusing because they’re looking for “more” input to their body

These swimmers aren’t “hyper” — they’re trying to get the sensory input their body needs.

Sensory Avoiders

Sensory Avoiders feel overwhelmed by certain sensations. In the pool, you might see them:

  • Appear fearful or hesitant
  • Avoid getting splashed
  • Cling to the wall or to the instructor
  • Resist touch or handling swim equipment; even contact from the instructor can feel overwhelming
  • Become tearful, shut down, or refuse to move
  • Startle easily with noise, movement, or unpredictability

Their nervous system is working overtime, often in a fight-or-flight state.

The Role of Neurochemicals 101

You don’t need to be a scientist to understand how the brain and body work together to help a swimmer feel calm and ready to learn. Certain neurochemicals in the brain — Dopamine, Histamine, and Serotonin — play a key role in self-regulation. By understanding how movement and sensory input affect these chemicals, you can help your swimmers regulate in the pool.

Dopamine

  • Released through deep pressure
  • Makes a swimmer feel calm and organized
  • Helps wash away stress and adrenaline

Histamine

  • Released through movement of the head and body in space (vestibular input)
  • Balances the nervous system
  • Helps a swimmer feel steady and coordinated

Serotonin

  • Released through heavy work, or pressure on muscles and joints (proprioception)
  • Boosts mood and sense of well-being
  • Helps a swimmer feel ready and focused

Using this knowledge in your lessons allows you to integrate adaptive swim instruction strategies that support sensory regulation in swim lessons, helping swimmers stay calm and engaged.

Why This Matters in Swim Lessons

By introducing sensory input in the right order, you can help a swimmer achieve self-regulation. This means they can become calmer, more attentive, andready to practice swim skills with more safety and efficiency.

How to Support a Sensory Seeker in Swim Lessons

Sensory Seekers crave extra movement and input to feel organized and calm. In swim lessons, they might seem “hyper,” constantly moving, spinning, or looking for more stimulation. The good news? With the right sequence of activities, you can help them regulate and focus on learning skills.

Step-by-Step Strategy for Sensory Seekers

  • 1

    Start with Vestibular Input (Movement in Space)

    • – Activities like spinning, rolling forward, or going upside down in the water
    • – Helps release Histamine, a balancing neurochemical

    TIP: Keep movements structured and predictable so the swimmer feels safe.

  • 2

    Add Proprioceptive Input (Muscle & Joint Work)

    • – Heavy work like jumping up and down, climbing out of the pool, or pulling/pushing equipment
    • – Boosts Serotonin, which improves mood and focus

    TIP: Incorporate these movements into functional skills — for example, climbing out before practicing a stroke.

  • 3

    Finish with Deep Pressure/Tactile Input

    • – Underwater activities that surround the body with hydrostatic pressure, like floating or gentle underwater pushes
    • – Releases Dopamine, which calms and organizes the nervous system

    TIP: This is like a “deep hug” in the water – it signals safety and readiness for learning.

Why This Sequence Works

Following this adaptive swim instruction strategy — Vestibular → Proprioception → Deep Pressure — helps a Sensory Seeker feel regulated before you move on to swim skills. A regulated swimmer is calmer, more focused, and more receptive to instruction.

How to Support a Sensory Avoider in Swim Lessons

Sensory Avoiders can be challenging to engage because they feel overwhelmed by certain sensations. In the pool, they may appear fearful, resist touch or equipment, or shut down. With the right sequence of movements, however, you can help them feel safe, regulated, and ready to learn.

Step-by-Step Strategy for Sensory Avoiders

  • 1

    Start with Deep Pressure / Tactile Input

    • – Gentle submersion to neck depth, like sitting on the steps or walking in neck deep water.
    • – Provides hydrostatic pressure, like a “deep hug,” to calm the nervous system
    • – Releases Dopamine, helping wash away stress and adrenaline

    TIP: Introduce touch and equipment slowly and predictably to build trust as the swimmer is grounded where they can feel their feet.

  • 2

    Add Vestibular Input (Movement in Space)

    • – Gentle linear or rhythmic movements — moving up and down, or in a small arc (side to side)
    • – Releases Histamine, balancing the nervous system

    TIP: Keep movements slow and predictable; avoid sudden spins or fast motions.

  • 3

    Finish with Proprioceptive Input (Muscle & Joint Work)

    • – Activities like swimming with light resistance, or pushing/pulling in the water with dumbbells
    • – Releases Serotonin, boosting mood and focus

    TIP: Only introduce heavier work once the swimmer shows signs of calmness and engagement.

Why This Sequence Works

Following this sequence of Deep Pressure → Vestibular → Proprioception helps a Sensory Avoider move from fight-or-flight into a regulated state. Once they feel safe and organized, they can focus on learning swim skills and following instructions — leading to a safer, more productive lesson.

Help Every Swimmer Thrive with the Adaptive Swim Whisperers® Certification

Every swimmer deserves to feel confident and successful in the water — especially those with sensory sensitivities. That’s why Ailene Tisser (PT) and Cindy Freedman (OT), co-founders of Swim Angelfish, created the Adaptive Swim Whisperers® Certification.

This training equips instructors with the strategies and tools they need to support both Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders, helping swimmers regulate, engage, and achieve their full potential in the pool.

By completing this certification, you’ll learn how to:

  • Recognize sensory profiles in your swimmers
  • Apply structured strategies to calm, organize, and engage them
  • Build confidence and independence in the water
  • Make every lesson safer and more effective

Help every swimmer you teach feel confident, regulated, and ready to succeed — with the Swim Whisperers® Certification.

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.