Starting at the Shallow End: An Introduction to The Sunfish Method for Caregivers

---

Let’s Dive In: What Water Safety Really Means for Children with Differences

Hi and welcome back,  I’m so glad you’re here!  If you’ve been following along since the first blog post, thank you for taking the time to come back and continue learning with me. And if you’re new here, I’m really happy you found your way here too.

I’m Kendall, a doctoral occupational therapy student working on a caregiver-focused pilot through The Sunfish Method. My goal is to help caregivers of children with differences better understand water safety and feel supported in teaching these skills in ways that work for their child. In this post, I’m sharing everything you need to know about water safety.

Water Safety vs. Swimming Skills

When we think about safety skills in everyday life, we think about the actions, both verbal and non-verbal, that help keep ourselves or others safe. These can be preventative (things we do to avoid danger) or reactive (things we do when something unexpected happens) (Akmanoglu & Tekin-Iftar; 2011,).

Water safety works the same way.

Water safety is not about perfect strokes or swimming across the pool. It’s about the skills that help a child stay safe around water, whether that’s before they enter, while they’re in it, or if something goes wrong.

And this is especially important for children with differences.

Preventative Water Safety Skills

Take a moment and think, what are some water safety skills that help prevent accidents before they happen?

Some examples include:

• Knowing how to safely enter and exit the pool
• Using appropriate flotation or safety equipment
• Recognizing when surfaces are slippery
• Understanding pool rules and boundaries

These skills help create safety before swimming even begins and they are just as important as swimming lessons themselves.

Reactive Water Safety Skills

Reactive water safety skills come into play after something happens.

Examples include:

• Holding breath when underwater
• Returning to the surface after going under
• Regaining balance or body position in the water

These skills help children respond safely in unexpected moments, and they are especially critical when teaching children with differences.

Why This Matters for Children with Differences

Here’s the part that often gets overlooked.

The way water safety is taught to neurotypical children is not always effective for children with differences, yet it is often taught the same way.

Many children with differences are not given preventative or reactive water safety skills in ways that:

• Match their bodies
• Respect how they communicate
• Support their individual needs

For example, a child with hemiplegia may need specific flotation support to help balance their body in the water so they can float safely. That is water safety.

When water safety is taught in a way that meets a child where they are, it can truly change outcomes.

Changing the Narrative

Children with disabilities are at a significantly higher risk for drowning, and autistic children are at an even greater risk compared to their peers  (Martin & Dillenburger, 2018).

That statistic matters and it should motivate change.

My goal is to help change that narrative completely.

No child and no parent should fear the water because they were never taught in a way that met their needs. Water should be a fun, meaningful occupation for children, not a life-threatening one.

How the Sunfish Method Caregiver Pilot Program Helps

The Sunfish Method Caregiver Pilot Program is designed to help make that change.

Caregivers will:

• Complete the existing Sunfish Method swim instructor program
• Learn foundational water safety strategies for children with differences
• Share feedback through surveys and a focus group

That feedback will directly inform the creation of a caregiver-specific water safety program, shaped by real caregiver voices and real experiences.

Interested in Joining?

If you’re interested in being part of the Caregiver Pilot Program, you can visit
https://www.thesunfishmethod.org/

Use promo code CAREGIVERPILOTPROGRAM to receive free access to the swim instructor program (available to the first 30 caregivers).

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out, ’d love to hear from you. My email is ksmith34@tufts.edu 

Thank you for being here, for caring, and for taking the time to learn more about water safety for your child 💙

Yours Truly, 

Kendall Smith OT/s

Water Safety for Children With ASD: Small Steps, Big Impact

Hi!

Welcome back to another blog post focused on helping caregivers navigate water safety for children with differences. If you’ve been following along, thank you for being here again. If this is your first time here, welcome. I’m really glad you found your way here.

Today, we’re going to focus specifically on water safety for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and why individualized, caregiver informed approaches are so important.

Why Water Safety Is Especially Important for Children With ASD

In the United States, approximately 850,000 children under the age of 17 have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Guan & Li, 2017). Research shows that children with ASD may have an increased risk around bodies of water due to factors such as wandering or elopement, difficulty assessing risk, seizure activity, and challenges adapting to new or unpredictable environments (Schendel et al., 2016).

Because of these factors, unintentional drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death for children with ASD, particularly under the age of 14 (Casey et al., 2020). Many documented drowning incidents involve boys between the ages of 7 and 8 and often occur following wandering or elopement, with nearby bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, and rivers being the most common (Guan & Li, 2017).

These statistics can feel overwhelming and understandably scary. However, they also highlight why education, prevention, and caregiver support are so important.

Swimming Is Helpful But It Is Not Enough on Its Own

Research consistently shows that physical activity provides meaningful benefits for children with ASD, including improvements in physical health, social engagement, and behavior (Casey et al., 2020). Swimming, in particular, has been shown to promote positive physical, social, and behavioral outcomes for children with ASD (Casey et al., 2020).

Because of this, many caregivers enroll their children in swim lessons primarily for safety reasons. Research shows that 82 percent of caregivers enroll their child in swim lessons for safety, and 87 percent of caregivers believe swim lessons are the best way to prevent drowning (Casey et al., 2020).

While swimming lessons are valuable, swimming skills alone are not enough.

True water safety requires both preventative skills, which are the actions taken before an accident occurs, and reactive skills, which are the skills used if something unexpected happens.

Children with ASD benefit most when water safety instruction goes beyond swimming skills and includes individualized strategies that support regulation, communication, and survival skills (Casey et al., 2020).

Preventative Water Safety Strategies for Caregivers

For children who are at risk for wandering or elopement, preventative strategies can help reduce risk and improve overall safety.

Helpful strategies may include notifying neighbors, lifeguards, or staff at nearby bodies of water about a child’s risk for wandering, installing fences, locked gates, or door alarms around homes or nearby water sources when possible, creating a clear safety plan outlining steps to take if a child elopes, and using wearable tracking devices or alert systems that notify caregivers of wandering.

Layering these strategies helps create a safer environment and provides caregivers with added peace of mind (Schendel et al., 2016).

Teaching Water Safety Skills to Children With ASD

In addition to environmental safety, children with ASD benefit from being taught direct water safety skills in ways that align with their individual needs.

Effective strategies include breaking water safety skills into small, manageable steps such as nose in water, face in water, full submersion, and breath holding, teaching regulation strategies to support emotional and sensory needs in aquatic environments, using visual supports to reinforce expectations, routines, and safety rules, and practicing skills that help children return to the surface, float, or orient themselves if they enter water unexpectedly.

Teaching these skills early can increase a child’s ability to respond safely if they encounter water without direct supervision (Casey et al., 2020).

Why Caregiver Education Matters

Research emphasizes the importance of caregiver education and involvement in reducing drowning risk for children with ASD. Parents and caregivers who receive water safety training may be better equipped to recognize risks, implement preventative strategies, and support skill development (Leavy et al., 2016).

One study found that all drowning incidents involving children with ASD occurred within a 1,000 meter radius of the child’s home, highlighting the importance of identifying nearby bodies of water and advocating for safety measures within the community (Guan & Li, 2017).

How The Sunfish Method Supports Caregivers

Programs such as The Sunfish Method aim to change the narrative around water safety for children with ASD by directly supporting caregivers.

By teaching both preventative and reactive water safety strategies in addition to swimming skills, caregivers can help their children develop safety, confidence, and survival skills from an early age.

Water should be a fun and meaningful occupation for children, not a life-threatening one due to lack of access, education, or appropriate resources.

If you have questions, suggestions, or strategies that have worked for your family, please feel free to share them in the comments. Supporting one another is how we continue to move this work forward.

Yours truly,
Kendall Smith, OT/s

---

It’s Not Just Swimming: Understanding the Sensory Side of Water Safety

Hi! 🤍

Welcome back to Blog Monday, where I share what the research is showing, practical tips you can actually use, and ways caregivers and swim instructors can work together to improve access and decrease drowning risk for children with differences.

Today we’re talking about something that often gets missed in traditional swim lessons: sensory processing.

Swimming is not just about learning strokes.
It is a full nervous system experience.

When a child walks into a pool, they are processing:

• Cold water
• Water pressure around their body
• Bright lights reflecting off the surface
• Loud echoes and splashing
• Whistles and instructors calling out
• A new body position (horizontal instead of vertical)
• Water near their face, nose, and mouth
  

For some children, this feels exciting.
For others, it feels overwhelming.
For others, it may not feel like enough.

If a child’s nervous system is not regulated, it becomes much harder to:

• Follow directions
• Coordinate arms and legs
• Control breathing
• React quickly to safety cues
• Stay calm if something unexpected happens
  

Before swimming is a motor skill, it is a regulation skill.

Winnie Dunn’s sensory processing framework helps explain this. Sensory patterns are based on two things: how much input a child needs (high or low threshold) and how they respond to it (actively or passively). This creates four patterns: Low Registration, Sensory Seeking, Sensory Sensitivity, and Sensation Avoiding.

Let’s break each one down in a simple way.

Low Registration

High threshold + passive strategy

These children need more input to notice what is happening, but they do not actively look for it.

They may:

• Seem uninterested or slow to respond
• Miss verbal directions
• Not react quickly to their name
  Struggle with body awareness in the water

In a swim lesson, this might look like not listening. But often, the child simply isn’t registering the input clearly enough.

This can affect safety. If a child takes longer to notice “stop” or doesn’t quickly feel a change in depth, their reaction time may be delayed.

Helpful strategies:

• Use short, clear directions (one step at a time)
• Add visual + physical cues (demonstrate, tap shoulder gently)
• Stand close when giving instructions
• Use enthusiastic tone and bigger gestures
•  Increase alerting input before skill work (jumping in place, splashing arms, wall push-offs)
•  Provide gentle physical guidance to increase body awareness

Think: Turn the volume up.

---

Sensory Seeking

High threshold + active strategy

These children also need a lot of input, but they actively look for it.

They may:

• Splash constantly
• Jump in repeatedly
• Move nonstop
• Crave deeper water
• Take risks
  

This is not about being defiant. Their nervous system is trying to feel regulated.

Traditional lessons often require standing still and waiting, which can feel uncomfortable for them. So they create their own movement.

Helpful strategies:

• Build movement into the lesson (races, diving for rings, wall push-offs)
• Give structured heavy work (carry kickboard, push off wall hard, dolphin kicks)
• Offer clear boundaries (“Jump only when I say go”)
• Use timed challenges to channel energy
• Provide clear start/stop signals

The goal is not less movement.
The goal is safer, structured movement.

Think: Give movement on purpose.

---

Sensory Sensitivity

Low threshold + passive strategy

These children notice everything quickly and intensely, but they do not remove themselves from it.

They may:

• Be bothered by noise
• Feel upset by splashing
• Hesitate to get water on their face
  Become emotional or anxious

Pools are loud, bright, and unpredictable. For a sensitive nervous system, that can feel overwhelming.

When a child feels overwhelmed, their body may go into fight-or-flight. And when that happens, learning decreases.

Helpful strategies:

• Offer predictable routines
• Give warnings before splashing or submerging
• Start slowly with water exposure
• Position away from loud speakers or high traffic areas
• Use calm voice and steady pacing
• Validate feelings (“That splash was loud. Let’s try again slowly.”)

Think: Lower the volume.

---

Sensation Avoiding

Low threshold + active strategy

These children feel overwhelmed and actively try to reduce input.

They may:

• Refuse to enter the pool
• Cling to caregivers
• Insist on the same routine
• Avoid certain parts of the pool
  Resist transitions

This is often labeled as stubbornness, but it is usually anxiety rooted in sensory overload.

Helpful strategies:

• Keep lessons predictable
• Use visual schedules
• Offer choices (“Do you want to start with kicking or bubbles?”)
• Gradually increase exposure
• Allow brief breaks
• Avoid forcing immersion

Think: Increase predictability and control.

---

Why This Matters for Water Safety

Sensory processing affects:

• Reaction time
• Breath control
• Motor planning
• Emotional regulation
• Impulse control
  Body awareness

All of these are critical for swimming and drowning prevention.

Traditional swim lessons are designed for neurotypical nervous systems. Some children need more support with regulation before they can fully access the skills being taught.

When we understand sensory differences, we stop asking,
“Why isn’t this child cooperating?”

And we start asking,
“What does this nervous system need right now?”

When we meet the nervous system first, the swimming skill follows. 

If you have questions, suggestions, or strategies that have worked for your family, please feel free to share them in the comments. Supporting one another is how we continue to move this work forward.

Yours truly,
Kendall Smith, OT/s

Small Shifts, Big Impact: The Power of Caregiver Empowerment in Water Safety

Hi!

Welcome back to Blog Monday, a space where we talk about water safety through a caregiver lens. My goal with this blog is to share what the research is showing in a way that feels practical, supportive, and empowering. This is meant to be a safe space to learn, reflect, and ask questions, so please feel free to share your thoughts or pass this along to another caregiver who may benefit.

Today we’re talking about something that sits at the heart of The Sunfish Method: caregiver empowerment.

Caregiver empowerment is a psychological approach that focuses on building skills, confidence, and self-efficacy so you feel capable supporting your child’s development  (Szlama et al., 2024). In simple terms, it means helping caregivers feel capable, informed, and confident, not dependent on someone else.

When it comes to water safety, this matters more than we often realize.

Imagine how powerful it is to feel confident teaching your child a life-saving skill. Research shows that when caregivers are empowered with the right tools and knowledge, children are more likely to participate successfully in meaningful occupations, including swimming (Chen et al., 2024). When a caregiver feels calm, prepared, and capable, that confidence carries over to the child.

During my research, one gap stood out clearly: there are very few programs designed to teach caregivers water safety skills directly. Considering how critical drowning prevention is, that gap felt important to address.

Emerging research suggests that evidence-based strategies taught to caregivers can positively influence a child’s performance in meaningful ways (Szlama et al., 2024). When caregivers understand regulation strategies, visual supports, and structured teaching techniques, they can apply them not just in swim lessons, but across environments including school, during playdates, at the beach, or with other instructors.

Empowerment also strengthens advocacy (Szlama et al., 2024). When you know what helps your child succeed, whether it’s visual schedules, sensory supports, or clear cueing, you can communicate those needs confidently. And when one caregiver feels empowered, they often open the door for others.

Caregiver empowerment is not about replacing professionals. It’s about partnership. It’s about making sure you feel confident, informed, and capable in moments that truly matter.

That belief is the foundation of The Sunfish Method caregiver pilot program.

If you’re interested in building your confidence around teaching water safety, you can explore free resources on Instagram @southshoresunfish or visit the caregiver page on our website at https://www.thesunfishmethod.org/p/caregiver. 

There is still time to join the caregiver pilot program and help shape the future of a training model designed for caregivers, with caregivers. You can use the promo code CAREGIVERPILOTPROGRAM to join.

Thank you for being here and for caring so deeply about your child’s safety. I’ll see you next week for another Blog Monday 🤍

Swimming Against the Current: Barriers to Water Safety Access

Hi!

I’m really glad you’re here.

We talk a lot in this space about water safety skills, sensory supports, and caregiver confidence. But today I want to zoom out for a minute.

Before a child can learn to float, blow bubbles, or safely exit the pool, there is something else that has to happen first.

Access.

And for many families of children with differences, access is where the challenge begins.

---

The Reality: Risk Is High, Access Is Uneven

Children with disabilities face a significantly higher risk of drowning compared to their neurotypical peers (Casey et al., 2020). For autistic children, wandering and attraction to water increase that risk even further (Guan & Li, 2017).

Research continues to show that structured aquatic interventions can improve water competency and safety skills for children with disabilities (Kemp et al., 2024; Munn et al., 2021).

The need is clear.

The problem is that access to these programs is not always clear, consistent, or affordable.

---

Barrier 1: Programs Exist, But Not Everywhere

Many adaptive swim programs operate through universities, specialty clinics, or private organizations (Kemp et al., 2024). These programs often provide excellent instruction, but they are location dependent.

Families may need to travel long distances. Some may not have reliable transportation. Others may already be balancing multiple weekly therapy appointments (Forde et al., 2020).

School based initiatives like SWIM Central have expanded access within certain regions (Broward County Government, 2024), but these models are geographically limited.

Access should not depend on proximity. Yet for many families, it does.

---

Barrier 2: Cost Adds Up Quickly

Specialized swim lessons can exceed one hundred dollars per session (Forde et al., 2020). Even when caregivers understand the importance of water safety, recurring costs can be overwhelming.

Research shows that a significant percentage of caregivers of children with disabilities reduce work hours or leave employment to provide care (Goudie et al., 2014). Financial strain is already present for many families, and additional services increase that pressure (Szlamka et al., 2023).

When water safety becomes financially out of reach, it creates an equity issue.

---

Barrier 3: Instruction Is Not Always Individualized

Traditional swim lessons are often designed around group instruction and standardized skill progression.

Children with developmental differences may require adaptations related to motor planning, cognition, communication, or sensory processing (Forde et al., 2020). Without these supports, families may feel that lessons are not meeting their child where they are (Kemp et al., 2024).

There is currently no universally standardized curriculum specifically designed for teaching water safety to children with disabilities (Kemp et al., 2024). That variability can make it difficult for caregivers to know what to look for or what to expect.

---

Barrier 4: Emotional Load on Caregivers

Water can represent joy and fear at the same time.

Many caregivers of children with disabilities report heightened stress around bodies of water (Carter & Koch, 2022). Knowing that drowning risk is elevated can create constant vigilance.

Add to that:

Busy schedules
Financial considerations
Transportation challenges
Uncertainty about instructor training

And it is understandable why some families feel stuck.

Swimming is recognized as a meaningful occupation within leisure and social participation (American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2020). But meaningful occupations must also feel attainable.

---

So Where Does The Sunfish Method Fit?

The Sunfish Method was not created to replace adaptive swim programs.

It was created to expand access.

By offering online, self paced education grounded in occupational therapy principles, The Sunfish Method addresses several of the barriers we just discussed:

• It reduces geographic limitations
• It removes travel requirements
• It lowers cost compared to repeated private instruction
• It provides structured, evidence informed strategies
• It supports multiple diagnoses rather than focusing on one population

Most importantly, it recognizes that caregivers are present in the environments where real life water exposure happens.

Research on caregiver centered empowerment shows that when caregivers are equipped with knowledge and practical strategies, they can meaningfully influence a child’s participation in daily occupations (Szlamka et al., 2024; Chen et al., 2024).

Water safety does not only happen during a 30 minute lesson.

It happens:

At a friend’s house
On vacation
At the beach
At a neighborhood pool
Near a pond
In everyday moments

When caregivers understand water safety principles, they are better prepared in those real world settings.

---

Access Should Not Be a Luxury

The research is clear. Structured aquatic instruction improves safety skills (Kemp et al., 2024). Children with disabilities face increased drowning risk (Casey et al., 2020). Financial and systemic barriers affect families disproportionately (Goudie et al., 2014; Szlamka et al., 2023).

The next step is closing the access gap.

That means:

More flexible education models
More inclusive design
More caregiver informed programs
More collaboration between professionals and families

Water safety should not depend on zip code, income, or diagnosis.

It should be something families can access in ways that fit their real lives.

If this conversation resonates with you, I would love to hear your experience. What barriers have you encountered? What has helped? What still feels challenging?

Because improving access starts with listening.

Yours truly,
Kendall Smith OT/s

How Occupational Therapy Supports Water Safety and Participation

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to Blog Monday, a space where we talk about water safety through a caregiver lens. Today we are talking about how occupational therapy supports water safety and participation.

I often get the question, “Kendall, I don’t understand why an occupational therapist is teaching me about swimming?” 

And here is my answer: 

Occupational therapy focuses on helping individuals participate in meaningful daily activities, also known as occupations. Activities like play, leisure, and social participation are all considered occupations, swimming included! (AJOT, 2020). Swimming is not just a recreational activity. It is also a critical life skill that supports safety around water and reduces the risk of drowning (Duke et al., 2023).

For children with disabilities, learning water safety and swimming can sometimes look different from what it does in traditional swim lessons. Differences in motor skills, sensory processing, communication, or cognition can impact how a child learns these skills (Forde et al., 2020).

That is where an occupational therapy lens can be incredibly helpful.

Regulation Comes Before Any Skill

What is often overlooked in most traditional swimming lessons, but is a foundational tool for occupational therapists, is regulation.

Children cannot learn new motor skills if their nervous system feels overwhelmed. Before focusing on kicking, floating, or swimming across the pool, the first goal is helping a child feel calm, safe, and ready to learn.

Sometimes children need help reaching that state. This is called co-regulation, which means children borrow calm from the adults supporting them.

In the water this might look like:

• slowing your voice
• using steady, predictable movements
• sticking to a routine
• pausing when a child becomes overwhelmed

When a child feels safe and regulated, they are much more ready to engage and learn new skills.

The Water Is a Powerful Sensory Environment

Occupational therapists are also all about how someone’s environment impacts their sensory regulation. Pools and bodies of water, in general, can have a huge sensory impact on a child. They are often loud, smell strongly, and can be crowded. On top of that, the properties of water, like hydrostatic pressure, also add to the sensory experience. For some children, the water can feel organizing and calming, while for others it may feel a little overwhelming at first.

You might notice a child:

• avoiding water on their face
• covering their ears
• crying when splashed
• seeking big splashes or crashing into you
• having difficulty knowing where their body is in the water

These responses are not behavior problems. They are body responses.

Occupational therapists help caregivers understand these sensory responses and use simple strategies to support comfort in the water. For example, letting a child pour water on themselves first, using countdowns before submerging, or providing firm and steady support can help children feel more in control of the experience.

Breaking Skills Into Small Steps

Another key occupational therapy strategy is breaking skills into small steps.

Swimming is actually made up of many different motor skills happening at once. For children who process information differently, hearing multiple instructions at the same time can be overwhelming.

Instead of saying:

“Kick while holding the wall and keep your body straight.”

Try breaking it down into simple directions:

• Hands on wall
• Kick
• Blow bubbles

One step at a time.

Celebrating partial success is important because progress in swimming often happens in small pieces.

Transitions Matter

One thing many caregivers notice is that the hardest part of swim lessons is not always the skill itself. It is the transitions.

Entering the pool, switching activities, and ending the lesson can be difficult moments for many children. If a child is having fun or just starting to learn a new skill, it makes sense that they might not want to leave. Setting clear expectations at the beginning of the lesson and keeping things predictable can make transitions much easier.

For example, using a visual aid like a visual schedule, letting the child choose the last activity they will do for five minutes, setting a timer, or saying something like “5 more kicks” can help make expectations clear. These small supports can make transitions feel less abrupt and easier for the child to handle.

Keeping the routine consistent each time also helps reduce transition difficulty because the child knows what is coming next and when the lesson will end.

These small adjustments can reduce anxiety and help children stay engaged in the learning process.

Caregivers Are Essential Partners

Another core principle of occupational therapy is partnering with caregivers. You know your child better than anyone else. When caregivers are involved in the learning process, children often feel more supported and confident, which is exactly why you are here.

Research shows that empowering caregivers to support their child’s development can increase caregiver confidence and a child’s participation in meaningful activities (Szlama et al., 2024; Chen et al., 2024).

This is one of the reasons caregiver education is such an important part of drowning prevention. When you feel confident teaching water safety skills, it can reduce feelings of helplessness and create more opportunities for your child to safely participate in the water.

Providing caregivers with occupational therapy strategies like co-regulation, visual aids, and transition supports can also make day-to-day life feel a little easier for both you and your child. These tools are not just helpful in the water; they can support regulation, communication, and routines across many different parts of daily life.

Additional Caregiver Resources

Supporting your child in the water can feel overwhelming at times, which is why I have also created free caregiver resources to help along the way. These include visual aids, social stories, reflection pages, and other practical tools designed to make swim days feel more predictable and supportive for both you and your child. You can find all of these resources available to download on the website under the “caregiver resources” tab. 

Thanks for following along for another Blog Monday, and I will “see” you all next week! 

Strengthening Your Relationship Through Water Safety: Benefits for Caregivers

Hi!
Welcome back to Blog Monday. If you’ve been following along the past few weeks, we’ve talked about water safety skills, caregiver empowerment, sensory differences, and barriers families often face when trying to access safe swim instruction. This week, I want to focus on something that often gets overlooked but is just as important as the skills themselves, the relationship between you and your child.

Teaching water safety is not only about preventing drowning. It can also be a powerful way to build connection, trust, and shared confidence between caregiver and child.

Why The Caregiver–Child Relationship Matters

Caregivers play a central role in a child’s daily life, especially for children with differences who may need extra support with motor skills, communication, regulation, or learning new routines. Research shows that strong caregiver–child relationships can improve both the child’s participation and the caregiver’s sense of confidence and satisfaction (Schwartz & Hadar, 2007).

When a child feels safe with the person teaching them, they are more likely to try new things, stay regulated, and keep practicing even when something feels hard. The water can be an unfamiliar and sometimes overwhelming environment, so having a trusted caregiver involved can make a big difference in how a child experiences learning.

Shared Goals Create a Stronger Connection

When caregivers are part of the learning process, water safety becomes something you and your child are working on together, not something being done to them.
This shared goal can change the entire experience.

Instead of feeling like another appointment or therapy session, time in the water can become a meaningful activity you do as a team. Research on adaptive swimming programs shows that when families are involved, they often report feeling proud, more connected to their child, and more confident in their ability to support them (Carter & Koch, 2022).

Those small moments: practicing floating, holding hands in the pool, and celebrating when your child puts their face in the water for the first time can build trust in ways that go beyond swimming.

Structure Can Reduce Stress for Both of You

For many caregivers, bodies of water can bring a lot of anxiety. Knowing that children with disabilities have a higher risk of drowning can make every pool, lake, or beach feel stressful instead of fun. Research shows that many parents report feeling increased worry around water because of this risk (Carter & Koch, 2022).

Learning water safety together can help reduce that stress.
When you understand what skills to work on, how to support your child, and what strategies help them stay safe, the experience can start to feel more predictable.

Predictability often leads to confidence.
Confidence often leads to less fear.
And less fear makes it easier to actually enjoy time together.

Meaningful Participation is Part of Occupational Therapy

In occupational therapy, swimming is considered a meaningful occupation because it supports leisure, social participation, and family routines. Helping a child safely participate in activities they enjoy is a big part of improving quality of life.

When caregivers are involved in teaching water safety, it creates more opportunities for participation in real-life situations, not just during lessons.

This might look like
• feeling comfortable going to a family pool party
• being able to enjoy the beach on vacation
• practicing skills in a backyard pool
• feeling less nervous around water in everyday life

These are the moments where safety skills and family connection come together.

Caregiver Involvement Builds Trust and Empowerment

Another important piece of the research is caregiver empowerment. When caregivers feel informed, supported, and capable, children often show more success in learning new skills (Szlama et al., 2024).

Teaching water safety together can help caregivers feel less helpless and more prepared, especially in situations where professional instructors are not present. It also gives children the chance to learn from someone they already trust.

That combination can strengthen the relationship while also building real safety skills.

The Goal is Not Perfection, it is Connection

Not every swim day will go perfectly.
Some days will feel easy, and some days will feel frustrating.

But every time you practice together, you are building something bigger than swimming skills.
You are building trust, confidence, and shared experiences that can carry over into many parts of daily life.

And that is one of the reasons caregiver-centered water safety education matters so much.

Teaching water safety can keep children safe, but it can also create meaningful moments between you and your child that last far beyond the pool.

Thanks for following along for another Blog Monday, and I will “see” you all next week!

Follow My Blog

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

Resources

Altman, B. M. (2014). Definitions, concepts, and measures of disability. Annals of Epidemiology, 24(1), 2–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.05.018

Broward County Government . (2024, September 30). Parks and Recreation: SWIM Central. Parks SWIM Central. https://www.broward.org/Parks/Pages/SWIMCentral.aspx

Carter, B. C., & Koch, L. (2022). Swimming lessons for children with autism: Parent and teacher experiences. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 43(2), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492221143048

Casey, A., Blok, J., Vaughan, K., & O’Dwyer, W. (2020). Parental perceptions of water safety among children with autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.12.04.05

Chen, Y., Guo, Y., Wu, Y., Medina, A., Zhou, H., & Darmstadt, G. L. (2024). Maternal empowerment, feeding knowledge, and infant nutrition: Evidence from rural China. Journal of Global Health, 14. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.14.04094 

Duke, C., Calverley, H., Petrass, L., Peters, J., Moncrieff, K., Konjarski, L., & Matthews, B. (2023). A systematic review of demographic and background factors associated with the development of children’s aquatic competence. Injury Epidemiology, 10(42). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-023-00447-4

Forde, A., Zeman, E., & Clarke, L. (2020). Effectiveness of an intensive drowning prevention program and Skills Retention by children with and without disabilities. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.12.02.05

Galluzzo, M. (n.d.). The Sunfish Method. https://www.thesunfishmethod.org/

Get certified with swim whisperers® adaptive aquatics program. Swim Angelfish. (2024, September 16). https://swimangelfish.com/certified-swim-whisperers-adaptive-aquatics/

Goudie, A., Narcisse, M.-R., Hall, D. E., & Kuo, D. Z. (2014). Financial and psychological stressors associated with caring for children with disabilities. Families, Systems, & Health, 32(3), 280–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000027

Grosse, S. J. (2014). Aquatic safety for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 8(3), 295–301. https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.08.03.08

Guan, J., & Li, G. (2017). Characteristics of unintentional drowning deaths in children with autism spectrum disorder. Injury Epidemiology, 4(32). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-017-0129-4

Kemp, E., Nikahd, M., Ackerman, M., Howard, M., Darragh, A., & Crasta, J. (2024). Water competency and sensory processing among children on the autism spectrum. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(6). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050750

Kemp, E., Nikahd, M., Howard, M., Darragh, A., & Crasta, J. E. (2024). Improving water competency among children on the autism spectrum: The aquotic randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1473328

Kemp, E., Burkhead, N., & Syed, N. (n.d.). What is aquotic?. AquOTic Aquatic Occupational Therapy. https://u.osu.edu/aquotic/home/ 

Martin, C., & Dillenburger, K. (2019). Behavioural Water Safety and autism: A systematic review of interventions. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6(4), 356–366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-019-00166-x

Munn, E. E., Ruby, L., & Pangelinan, M. M. (2021). Improvements in swim skills in children with autism spectrum disorder following a 5-day adapted learn-to-swim program (ICAN swim). Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(23), 5557. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10235557

Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process—Fouth edition. (2020). 

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Supplement_2). 

Schwartz, C., & Hadar, L. (2007). Parents caring for adult children with physical disabilities: The impact of hope and closeness on caregiving benefits. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 88(2), 273–281. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3625

Szlamka, Zsofia, Ahmed, I., Genovesi, E., Kinfe, M., Hoekstra, R. A., & Hanlon, C. (2023). Conceptualizing the empowerment of caregivers raising children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia: A qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10428-4

Szlamka, Zsófia, Sebastián, C., Hanlon, C., & Hoekstra, R. A. (2024). Caregiver-centered empowerment for families raising autistic children: A qualitative case study from Argentina. Autism, 28(11), 2768–2778. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241238254

Young, N. A. E. (2021). Childhood Disability in the United States: 2019 . U.S Department of Commerce. 4