For many individuals, particularly those with special needs, learning to swim is more complex than just mastering strokes. There are underlying roadblocks getting in the way of swim success that need to be addressed.

These obstacles can be physical, sensory, cognitive and emotional barriers that create unique needs like motor planning issues, anxiety and sensory sensitivities. Because traditional swim lessons are designed for typical development, they may not always meet the needs of every swimmer.

This gap can leave swimmers and their families frustrated, fearful and feeling like they failed. It prevents their child from achieving the confidence and independence that comes with water safety.

This is where adaptive swim instruction steps in.

Adaptive swim is flexible and adaptable to an individual’s specific needs. It is beneficial to individuals with physical, cognitive, emotional or neurological challenges, offering more personalized techniques.

Adaptive swimming caters to a wide range of individuals, including those with:

However, “adaptive” is a broad term, and many programs still rely on generalized teaching strategies that don’t address the specific, underlying issues preventing progress. To fully unlock a swimmer’s potential, instructors need a proven, reliable methodology.

This need is precisely why Swim Whisperers® was created.

Swim Whisperers® is a specialized adaptive teaching method developed by the founders of Swim Angelfish, Ailene Tisser, PT and Cindy Freedman, OT. It goes beyond traditional adaptive instruction by using a therapy-informed approach to teach swimming to individuals facing sensory, motor, physical, emotional, or auditory processing challenges.

Swim Whisperers® is a proven system that focuses on identifying the specific “roadblocks” preventing a swimmer from progressing. Once these barriers are identified, the method provides instructors with tailored strategies and techniques to safely and effectively overcome them, turning these perceived limitations into real successes in the water.

This powerful system is the instructional standard used by all of our instructors at Swim Angelfish. We also teach it to professionals worldwide through the Swim Whisperers® Certification program. Our online training provides a multi-level comprehensive education program that empowers instructors and aquatic professionals to apply this methodology with confidence to swimmers of all abilities.

This is the main idea that sets the Swim Whisperers® methodology apart. We focus on each swimmer’s unique strengths and needs—not their diagnosis.

Our approach is not diagnosis-specific but rather works for all abilities. We do not teach or treat based on a label like Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down syndrome. Instead, we train instructors to see the swimmer for their unique abilities and assess the obstacles they encounter so that they can begin to apply appropriate strategies to help them succeed.

The truth is that a diagnosis only provides a name; it doesn’t detail the specific roadblock preventing success in the water. For example, two children with the same diagnosis might struggle for completely different ‘functional’ reasons—one might have sensory aversion to water on their face, while the other might have low core strength affecting their balance.

By focusing on the observable physical, emotional or sensory obstacles impacting someone’s ability to swim, the Swim Whisperers® strategies become universally applicable.

We all follow learn to swim curriculums but where other programs fall short, is that a typical swim instructor may not know how to assess why a swimmer, especially one with a particular challenge, is having trouble successfully achieving a swim skill. This is where the Swim Whisperers® Method comes in to help.

We enhance typical learn to swim curriculums by teaching instructors that when they are working on a swim skill that is challenging for the swimmer, they need to identify the roadblock that is preventing success, use movement strategies to overcome the challenge, then go back to working on the swim skill with greater progress.

This fundamental shift in our teaching approach allows our method to benefit every swimmer, and every learn to swim curriculum, ensuring a clear and inclusive path to water confidence and more independence.

How do Swim Whisperers® certified instructors apply this diagnosis-agnostic view in every lesson?

It all starts with the functional assessment model we call the ‘Areas of Focus’ and the ‘Roadblocks’. This is the heart of the methodology—a dynamic process where the instructor observes, assesses, and pinpoints the specific “roadblock” hindering a swimmer’s progress. We teach instructors to look past the general ‘learn-to-swim’ curriculum and ask this important question: What is the specific, underlying issue getting in the way of achieving this swim skill?

While structured swim curriculums provides a clear path for development, we understand that every swimmer is unique and sometimes encounter a “progress problem”—a sticking point on a specific skill. That’s where the Swim Whisperers® method becomes invaluable.

When a standard approach isn’t working, we rely on the Swim Whisperers® techniques to assess, understand, and take appropriate action. Our method emphasizes flexibility and inclusivity. This allows us to tailor the lesson, breaking down the challenging swim skill benchmark in a way that truly resonates with the individual swimmer, making the process more understandable and comfortable for them to master.

This problem-solving focus ensures progress is efficient and sustained. The Swim Whisperers® method is built to address all kinds and severity of functional challenges, ranging from inability to go on their back, ways of processing, seeking sensory input and success with swim strokes.

So, why is the Swim Whisperers method so effective where others fall short? The answer is its ‘Therapy-Informed’ foundation.

Swim Angelfish was co-founded by Ailene Tisser, a Physical Therapist (PT), and Cindy Freedman, an Occupational Therapist (OT). They brought their combined (now) 30+ years of pediatric therapy experience to the pool, creating a methodology that blends clinical insight with aquatic skill-building.

This dual expertise provides a strong, evidence-based understanding of the physical, sensory, and psychological challenges of learning to swim. Rather than guessing at the source of a struggle, the methodology is built upon principles of motor control, sensory processing, and child development.

This foundation ensures that every technique taught in the certification program is not just a swim modification, but a scientifically valid strategy designed to promote long-term confidence and more independence.

We have brought “science into swimming” by blending our therapeutic understanding into swim skill progressions. This is the secret sauce that makes the Swim Whisperers® method a reliable path to success for every swimmer.

The Swim Whisperers® method is an actionable skill set delivered through our professional certification program.

This program sets the instructional standard for every Swim Angelfish lesson we provide and is also available to aquatic professionals around the world. The training transforms a general swim instructor into a specialized Adaptive Aquatics Problem-Solver.

Our comprehensive online training empowers certified instructors to:

This method works across all formats: private lessons, semi-private, small groups, and swim teams. The ultimate goal of this comprehensive training is to transform any individual, regardless of their starting ability, into a confident and more independent swimmer.

Swim Whisperers® is more than a set of modifications; it’s a proven system for assessing, identifying and solving the Physical, Motor, Sensory, and Emotional Roadblocks that typically stop progress, by implementing Swim Whisperers® strategies and adapting your approach.

Whether you are a parent seeking a breakthrough in your child’s swimming journey or an aquatic professional committed to providing the most effective instruction, the Swim Whisperers® method will be a game changer. It is your adaptive swim solution.