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Infant Swimming Research - What is it?Jul 01 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Infant Swimming Research is a survival swimming lesson. It could save your child's life. (I wasn’t sure where to put this information so I’ve included it under “Choosing Swimming Camps.” This isn’t about “how to choose a swimming camp”, rather specifically about Infant Swimming Research. If any of the advisors out there know of a better place to include this information, please email me with the category and I will relocate. Thanks!) Harvey Barnett, Ph.D., founded Infant Swimming Research in the 1960’s after he witnessed his infant neighbor being zipped up into a body bag after a tragic drowning. Since that time, Dr. Barnett has dedicated his life to educating children to survive in the water. What is Infant Swimming Research? Infant Swimming Research (“ISR”) is not the typical swimming lesson program you may be familiar with. It is not a group lesson. It is not where the parent is in the water following the leads of a teenage “instructor” with no official training. It is not about fun in the water. ISR is about survival in the water. Drowning is the second cause of accidental death for children under age 5. ISR is different in many ways. First, the instructor works with the child for 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. This schedule applies to our 'personal' lesson. Older children may have longer/shorter lessons and 'refresher' lessons are only for a few days. See my "update" at the bottom of this opinion. Second, the child is taught in what ISR calls ‘reverse order.’ By this, the instructor first teaches the child to grab for the pool wall. The belief is the child needs to know what to work towards when they do have an aquatic accident. After the skill of grabbing the pool wall is mastered, the child dunks their head and grabs the wall, followed by dunking, turning and grabbing for the wall, and so on. Third, the child is taught a swim/rollover/float sequence intended to teach the child to sustain his/her own life if there is ever an aquatic accident. Fourth, the child is taught all of these skills fully clothed, since the child is usually fully clothed when most accidents occur. The belief is the child needs to be comfortable with all types of situations. Fifth, ISR starts children as young as 6 months of age! Why we Chose ISR After reviewing the literature, talking with other parents whose children have gone through both the public pool lessons and ISR, and speaking with the ISR instructor, we believed ISR was best for our baby. We do not live near a pool, however, we do hike near lakes and take vacations near the water. I was impressed with the attention the instructor pays to the child and the researched methods of how behavior is taught and learned. We were reassured that the instructors go through yearly courses to remain fresh on their skills and to learn new skills. Cost, Availability and Time Commitment I hesitate to include this here as the cost varies depending upon where your child will take lessons. Our instructor rents a pool from an athletic club and we paid a little bit more than a friend of mine who also put her child through lessons. There is a one-time registration fee payable prior to the start of lessons. These lessons are definitely not cheap and are a lot more expensive than group lessons at the public pool. There is also a huge time commitment on the part of the parent. Call early!!!!! I called back in February and we couldn’t get into lessons until June! There is a huge time commitment on the part of the parent/guardian. Since the lessons are 5 days a week for 6 weeks, be prepared to adjust your schedule. Our lessons are at 8:50 A.M., however, our instructor does offer classes starting as early as 6 A.M.!!! What to Expect When you enroll your child, you will receive a book. In this book it gives an overview of the ISR methods and the research behind these methods, explains how the lessons will be taught, reactions to expect from your child (and why they will react that way) and the parents role. Also included are safety tips for in and around all types of water (hot tubs, pools, lakes, etc.), additional resources, and information on ear infections and hypothermia. Well, I have always been encouraging and proud of my little boy whenever he does something good so I didn’t see a problem with being supportive during his class. I was so wrong!!! It is so incredibly difficult to sit on the side of the pool clapping and saying “good job” when your eyes are full of tears because your little one is crying and reaching up from the pool for you!! It’s heartbreaking!!!! Nevertheless, it is paramount the parent provides continual encouragement and support!!!! The classes are 10 minutes every day, 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. More or less depending upon each individual child’s learning curve. Classes are structured to the individual child’s needs, not a structured lesson plan. Every day you will need to fill out a “BUDS” sheet where you write down everything your child ate/drank, when he/she slept, went potty, and anything unusual. This will help the instructor prepare for the lesson. Certain foods need to be avoided during entire time of the lessons. Arrive 10 minutes early to prepare your child for the lesson. Babies still in diapers will need a double layer of swim pants to contain ‘accidents.’ The instructor will take your child into the water, work with them on their skills, then return the child to the side of the pool to the parent for rest. The lesson may be less than 10 minutes if the child shows sign of fatigue, noted by a blood refill test on the child’s back or bottom of the foot. There is a little bit of time to speak any concerns with the instructor, but keep in mind there are lessons immediately after your child’s lesson. The instructor is always available by telephone later in the day for any concerns not addressed at the pool. That’s it until tomorrow! Controversy? There are always two sides to every story. I chose to believe we are doing a great service to our son’s life by having him learn aquatic safety. There are opponents to this theory and I invite you to explore both sides of this debate before enrolling your child. Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics or speak with your baby’s pediatrician. Conclusion We just finished our first week of ISR (June 29). The first day, our lesson was only 6 minutes, and I had a really hard time. The second day, I did much better. Oh, my little guy did good, too! The third day, my son didn’t fuss or even notice that I was there. By Friday, he was practically swimming on his own! Our instructor is very reassuring, supportive and loving. Keep in mind that every child learns at a different pace and children with prior lessons of any other type may need to unlearn certain behavior before they can relearn the correct behavior. Most importantly, the lessons could help avoid a tragic loss of another child due to drowning. This outweighs the monetary fee whatever the amount. For more information about ISR, visit their website at www.infantswim.com. Update/Clarification ~ I understand that not all lessons are structured within 10 minutes a day for 6 weeks. Ten minutes is how long the lessons are for my 16 month old son who has never taken a class before ISR. Please see the comments for a note from another parent who's child has also gone through ISR. THX!  |
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