Video Library

Swim Whisperer Resources

Learn more about adaptive swim at https://swimangelfish.com/blog/

What are the SWIM WHISPERER Roadblocks?

By identifying the road blocks and with the tools to break through, we can speed the learning process for children with special needs.  The fourteen roadblocks in the SWIM WHISPERER acronym are:

S:  Safety concerns — Children who fail to understand the consequences of going into the water

W:  Water properties as they relate to the sensory system — Understanding how the properties of hydrostatic pressure, turbulence, buoyancy, viscosity, and surface tension can be used to satiate a child’s need for sensory input

I:  “I can’t touch that!” — Children who don’t want to be touched or don’t want to touch equipment

M:  Making a child go under water successfully

W:  “What did I say?” — Children who have difficulty converting verbal messages into instructions

H:  “How do I control my body?”

I:  “I’m not going on my back!”

S:  Seeking sensory input — Children who constantly want to go under, splash, or spit water

P:  Petrified to let go of the side

E:  Engagement and interaction — Ability to get and keep a child engaged in the lesson

R:  Reacts extremely when getting splashed

E:  Excessive drinking of the pool water

R:  Ritual and routine to increase comfort

S:  Success with swim strokes