Why Aquatic Therapy & Swim Lessons are Important for Williams Syndrome

Discover how important life skills can be nurtured, as we explore the multiple benefits of choosing aquatic therapy or swim lessons for individuals with Williams Syndrome.

Genetic disorders such as Williams Syndrome can have an impact on muscle tone, flexibility learning, judgement, and communication. This can make it challenging to participate in traditional therapy and activities. However, aquatic therapy and swim lessons offer a unique and effective way to address the difficulties that people with Williams Syndrome experience.

Williams Syndrome & Water Safety

What is Williams Syndrome?

Williams Syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body. This condition is characterized by mild to moderate intellectual disability or learning problems, unique personality characteristics, distinctive facial features, and heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems.

Williams Syndrome is caused by the spontaneous deletion of 26-28 genes on chromosome #7 at the time of conception. The deletion can occur in either the egg or the sperm. It is likely that in most families, the child with Williams Syndrome is the only one to have the elastin gene condition in his or her entire extended family.

How Adaptive Swim Lessons and Aquatic Therapy Contribute to Water Safety

Part of our mission at Swim Angelfish is to help improve water safety for children of all abilities and create a supportive, understanding environment where water safety skills can flourish. Aquatic therapy can help satiate a child’s sensory needs as well as improve their strength, coordination, and motor planning so that they are able to function safely in an aquatic environment. Swim lessons additionally help children develop a crucial sense of awareness for water safety and independent movement, while fostering a positive and functional relationship between the child and the water.

Adaptive Swim Lessons for Williams Syndrome

Learning to swim can provide an abundance of benefits for children with Williams Syndrome. Children with Williams Syndrome present with low muscle tone and ligamentous laxity, or “loose joints.” They can also have tightness in certain joints, like at their ankles and knees. Aquatic exercise through swimming can be beneficial for this population because the gravity minimized aquatic environment allows for less stress on the joints while still providing immense strength and cardiovascular benefits.

Because children with Williams Syndrome can have cardiac complications, swimming is a great way for them to have aerobic exercise and improved cardiac health. Their cardiac status should be monitored by a specialist to make sure there are no precautions. Swimming is a great way to help these individuals improve their strength and endurance in a safe and fun way!

From a cognitive perspective, swimming also requires a ton of motor planning in both the arms and legs simultaneously, which is great for cognitive development in this population! Children with Williams Syndrome are very social and swimming, especially in small groups, when they are ready, is a great way to motivate them and foster meaningful social connections.

Please note that some children with Williams Syndrome are sensitive to sudden loud noises. If this happens when you are working with them, they can get very startled and upset. It’s important to prepare them whenever you can if you know there will be a loud noise. If you cannot prepare them, try and do a calming activity (holding flexion in the body, or squeezing something like a ball as you rhythmically bounce), and reassure them.

Benefits of Swim Lessons for Williams Syndrome

  • Improves cardiovascular health.
  • Offers a low impact strengthening opportunity.
  • Improves motor planning.
  • Improves flexibility.

Aquatic Therapy for Williams Syndrome

Aquatic therapy is great for individuals with Williams Syndrome for a variety of reasons! Many children with William’s Syndrome present with decreased core strength and often overuse their rectus abdominal muscle (the muscle that helps them do a straight sit-up). Due to the overuse of this muscle, they may develop a small split called diastasis. Aquatic therapy can increase core strength by improving oblique activation through controlled trunk rotation. This can help improve diastasis and give the child more trunk stability.

Some children with Williams Syndrome have muscle asymmetry which can lead to scoliosis of their spine. The water is a great way to work on this so that they can strengthen these postural muscles in the gravity eliminated environment of the water and they don’t even realize how hard they are working.

Many children in this population also present with retained primitive reflexes. Aquatic therapy is a great way to help integrate those reflexes in a fun and engaging environment!

Some children with Williams Syndrome also seek the sensory input provided by the water. Aquatic therapy can be used to help satiate a child’s sensory needs and improve self-regulation, so that they are able to leave a session with improved attention and decreased impulsivity.

Aquatic therapy can also be a vital stepping stone to swim lessons, as it targets the underlying motor planning, coordination, and strength deficits that may be limiting a child from being able to develop crucial swim safety skills. It is very beneficial to helping these children with their delayed motor milestones.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for Williams Syndrome

  • Improves core strength and reflex integration.
  • Improves self-regulation and attention.
  • Improves motor planning and coordination.
  • Improves flexibility.
  • Assists with achieving gross motor milestones.
  • Allows for sensory input and strengthening simultaneously.
  • Assists with achieving righting and equilibrium reactions to improve balance.

Tips for Children With Williams Syndrome That Will Make a BIG Difference

Our Swim Whisperers® Adaptive Aquatics Training Program is the only adaptive aquatics training program that uses a therapeutic approach to assess, identify, and overcome the roadblocks that are present in children with special needs while learning to swim.

Here are some great tips when working with individuals who have Williams Syndrome:

  • Keep it fun!
    These children are generally playful, sociable, and loving! They just want to have fun like any other person, so make sure when working with them to always use humor and a high energy affect to keep them engaged.
  • Use songs
    These kids love music and respond very well when you put a song to the activity you want them to do.

  • Give breaks
    Many of these kids present with decreased endurance due to their low muscle tone and they may need more breaks than your typical swimmers. Be understanding and give them the time they need to recover after a challenging activity.

  • Include a peer when possible
    These children are very social and love to make friends. Adding a peer to the session can help improve motivation and keep your swimmer more engaged!

Williams Syndrome Swim Lessons and Aquatic Therapy Near Me

We can help you find a qualified instructor or aquatic therapist to help your child with Williams Syndrome become safer and more independent in the water.

We have highly skilled instructors certified in the Swim Whisperers® program who will work with your child to identify and address any underlying obstacles that they are experiencing with learning to swim.

We also have licensed aquatic physical, occupational and recreational therapists who will use a fun, innovative multi-sensory approach to reach specific therapy goals. We offer private, semi-private and small group sessions across multiple locations in CT, MA, NH and NY.

Interested in Learning How to Teach Swimmers with Williams Syndrome?

You can advance your swim instructor skills today! When you get certified through the Swim Whisperers® Adaptive Aquatics Training Program, you will have access to proven and time-tested course material, strategies and techniques that will help to make life-changing differences in your swim lessons.

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.”