Frequently Asked
Questions
If you have a child and a backyard pool or neighbors with a backyard pool or if you live near any body of water, the problem of infant drowning and the issue of infant swimming should be of vital concern to you.
WHAT IS ISR AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SWIMMING
PROGRAMS?
IF MY CHILD IS UNDER ONE YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
IF MY CHILD IS OVER A YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
How many ISR
lessons will my child need?
How can a child learn
anything in 10 minutes?
How is ISR different
from a class like Mommy and Me?
What if my child hasn't mastered the skills
in the typical time frame?
Is ISR something new? Who started it?
How many children have taken ISR lessons?
Are ISR lessons safe
for young children?
What qualifications does an ISR instructor
have?
HAS ISR BEEN APPROVED BY A STATE AGENCY OR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES?
WHY CAN'T ISR TEACH INFANTS
UNDER 6 MONTHS OLD?
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS
DOES THE ISR LESSON EXPERIENCE PROVIDE THE CHILD WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH LESSONS?
HOW DO CHILDREN KNOW TO HOLD THEIR
BREATH?
What if my child cries during his or her
lesson?
If my child cries will he learn to hate or
fear the water?
WHY DOES ISR NOT USE PARENTS IN
THE WATER DURING THE LESSONS?
Does taking ISR lessons
guarantee that a child will be drown-proofed when finished?
Have any children ever used these skills in
a real emergency?
HOW IS IT THAT BABIES
CAN LEARN TO RESPOND TO THE DANGER THAT WATER PRESENTS WHEN THEY FALL IN?
WHAT FURTHER LESSONS WILL MY
CHILD NEED?
I'm not sure that I can afford swim lessons
for my child.
Where can I get information about becoming
an ISR Instructor?
WHAT IS ISR AND
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SWIMMING PROGRAMS?
Formerly
known as Infant Swimming Research, ISR is the product over 40 years of ongoing
development in the area of aquatic survival instruction for infants and
children. ISR's primary focus is to teach you child
to become a productive swimmer, or floater in any depth of water. The goal of
ISR is that your child become an "aquatic problem
solver". ISR will greatly increase your child's chance of surviving an
aquatic accident, even when fully clothed! Developed in 1966 by behavioral
psychologist Dr. Harvey Barnett, ISR instructors have taught over 180,000
students nationwide and abroad.
IF MY CHILD IS
UNDER ONE YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
Children
between the ages of 6-12 months old are taught to roll over and maintain a backfloat position in the event of an accidental fall into
the water. Teaching your infant to float takes approximately 3-4 weeks. Private
10 minutes lessons per day are held 5 days a week, Monday through Friday.
Skilled infants can maintain a backfloat in a bathing
suit or in clothing. If you own a hot tub, pool, boat, or just enjoy the water,
ISR highly recommends survival training once your infant begins to crawl.
IF MY CHILD IS
OVER A YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
Children
over the age of one year are taught to swim with their face in the water, and
when they sense the need for air, to rollback onto their back to float. After
resting and breathing, they will roll over and continue to swim to the nearest
point of safety. A child can perform this swim-float-swim sequence to reach
safety in a survival situation. Children can also perform this sequence in
their clothes. If a child does not see a way out of his predicament, he will
roll over onto his back and maintain a backfloat
position. This buys the parent time in the event of an accident. This same
sequence is most often used for fun at the pool! The confidence and self-esteem
of these young swimmers is truly amazing! Teaching your 12 month to 6 year old
will take approximately 4-6 weeks. The lesson format is the same as for the
infants.
How many ISR
lessons will my child need?
Progress
in lessons is determined by your child's own unique learning style as all
lessons are private. Most students under 12 months complete learning a
rollback to float in about 4 weeks of lessons. Each lesson lasts a
maximum of 10 minutes five days per week. Children 12 months and older
learning a swim-float-swim technique typically master the skills in 4 to 6
weeks.
How can a child
learn anything in 10 minutes?
Although 10 minutes may seem like a very short
lesson, remember that each lesson is private and your child is getting the
undivided attention of the instructor. This lesson though short is very
intense. Most group lesson are only 30-45
minutes in length with as many as 6 children in each class.
This equals only about 5-7 minutes of actual instruction time for each child.
Before deciding that your child can't possibly learn in such a short lesson,
come and observe one or more ISR lessons.
How is ISR different from a class like Mommy and
Me?
Although many programs for young children focus
on a water orientation approach using songs and games, this
approach does not teach your child any of the skills necessary for
survival. Many lessons such as Mommy and Me teach children that the
water is a fun place to play without teaching them any meaningful skills.
Remember the water will not be a fun place for your child if he or she is
unskilled and finds himself alone in the water. This
approach may actually make a child more vulnerable to drowning as a child is
taught to be fearless without any understanding of the skills needed for
effective swimming. ISR lessons encourage water competence first thereby
promoting a safe foundation for a lifelong enjoyment of the water.
What if my child hasn't mastered the skills in the
typical time frame?
In
some cases such as where a child has missed lessons due to illness, a child
will require longer to complete lessons. This child will continue until
he or she has successfully mastered the skills he or she is
learning. ISR lessons differ from many other swim lessons that
end after a set number of weeks or lessons.
Is ISR something new? Who started it?
ISR
began in 1968 when a young lifeguard in
How many
children have taken ISR lessons?
To date, over
200,000 students have learned to swim through ISR lessons. There are currently
over 500 instructors teaching ISR throughout the
Are
ISR lessons safe for young children?
YES! ISR
instructors have given over 7 million safe and effective lessons. The
safety of each child is the highest priority of each ISR instructor. Prior to
participation each child is registered via an online registration process and
each child’s health and developmental history is evaluated by our
professionals to ensure that he or she can safely participate in lessons . Each lesson is private so the instructor’s
attention is focused completely on your child. The ongoing safety of each child
is monitored throughout lessons by requiring each parent to keep a daily diary of their child in order
to monitor their child’s Bowel, Urine, Diet, and Sleep (BUDS).
This is reviewed prior to each lesson. If the instructor feels any of these key
health measurements are not as they should be, the child's lesson will not take
place or in some cases the length and pace of a lesson is adjusted
. Many pediatricians who are educated about this program and its
high safety standards are willing to refer their patients to this program.
What
qualifications does an ISR instructor have?
The
ISR instructor training program includes a minimum of 60 hours of supervised
in-water training plus education and testing in subjects such as child
psychology, physiology, and behavioral science. All instructors are required to
maintain current CPR and First Aid certification. Training as an instructor is
a serious undertaking as each ISR instructor is carefully screened through
extensive interviews before qualifying to earn certification. In addition,
All instructors must complete re-certification
requirements annually to maintain their affiliation with the program.
HAS ISR BEEN APPROVED BY A STATE
AGENCY OR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES?
ISR has
presented its program as required by law to the review committee for the State
of
WHY CAN'T ISR
TEACH INFANTS UNDER 6 MONTHS OLD?
Children
under the age of 6 months are not neurologically mature enough to benefit from
ISR instruction.
WHAT OTHER
BENEFITS DOES THE ISR LESSON EXPERIENCE PROVIDE THE CHILD WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH LESSONS?
Every child
is different; however, many parents report that once their young children have
mastered learning to swim, the resulting confidence in the abilities engenders
a positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects of their
personalities.
HOW DO CHILDREN
KNOW TO HOLD THEIR BREATH?
Breath
holding skills are taught in the first lesson. We shape breath control using
highly effective positive reinforcement techniques.
What if my
child cries during his or her lesson?
Crying
is a form of communication for many children as they grow. They cry when they
are hungry, bored, tired, etc. When introduced to a new person and a new
experience, many children cry. This is not unusual for a child in ISR lessons.
Your child will be looking to you to develop her attitude toward swimming and lessons.
A child whose parent projects a positive attitude and praises their child's
efforts will see their child's crying diminish or even be eliminated as their
skill level progresses. Crying will not bother the instructor or interfere with
your child learning.
If my child
cries will he learn to hate or fear the water?
There
is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because
you are not yet skilled in a dangerous environment. ISR is not like traditional
swim lessons; it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival
swimming. Your child may not happily skip to his or her ISR lesson each day at
first, but that's okay. Sometimes as a parent, you make sure your child does
things for his or her safety, like receiving vaccinations and wearing a seat
belt, because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR.
FUN can be defined as when SKILL meets CHALLENGE. Once competent in their
skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having
entirely too much FUN.
When you learn about ISR, you know this is the most important level of
protection you can give your child to prevent drowning. If fences, supervision,
and alarms fail, your child's skill is an additional measure of protection.
WHY DOES ISR
NOT USE PARENTS IN THE WATER DURING THE LESSONS?
We do not
want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention and
affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible
concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic
emergency and our research shows that parents often find it too difficult to be
objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water.
Is it OK to use
floaties, rings or floatation swim suits for my child to play in the water
until she is ready to learn to swim? How about a Life-jacket?
Flotation
devices give children a false sense of security and hold them in postures that
are not compatible with swimming skills. If a child learns that he can jump in
the water and go into a vertical posture and he will be able to breathe, he is
getting the wrong idea about that environment. Flotation devices are for
children who cannot swim. Children, who cannot swim, should not be allowed to
learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch. Life
jackets must be worn in a boat or around the water when there is the potential
for an accidental submersion; they are not a substitute for the ability to swim
or for adult supervision.
Does taking ISR
lessons guarantee that a child will be drown-proofed when finished?
No
person or child is ever drown-proofed by any lessons. Supervision is
still the most important factor in preventing drowning. Other
precautions must be taken to prevent a child from ever getting to the
water unsupervised. ISR educates you on
how to protect your child through The Parent Resource Book which is provided to
every parent upon registration. The goal of lessons is for your child to
have skills that he or she could use to survive in a potential drowning
situation.
Have any
children ever used these skills in a real emergency?
Yes,
to date 788 of our students have used the skills that they learned through ISR
to save themselves from drowning.
HOW IS IT THAT
BABIES CAN LEARN TO RESPOND TO THE DANGER THAT WATER PRESENTS WHEN THEY FALL IN?
A baby does
not need to perceive danger or be afraid to respond appropriately to being
underwater. If a baby has learned to roll over and float when he needs air, he
doesn't need to perceive danger in order to respond in this manner. He needs
skill, practice and confidence to calmly deal with the situation.
WHAT FURTHER
LESSONS WILL MY CHILD NEED?
ISR
recommends that you bring your child back for refresher lessons. Frequency
depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The
goal of refreshers is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and
weight to his existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child
to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building
efficiency which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important
if you child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill
between seasons. While NO program can "drown proof" your child, ISR
lessons typically have a 94-100% retention rate up to one year later. Refresher
lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and
physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their
aquatic skill and abilities grow with their bodies.
I'm not sure
that I can afford swim lessons for my child.
Your child is unique, precious and
irreplaceable. No value can ever be placed on him or her. Drowning
is a leading cause of death for children and preventing it is vital to your
child's health and well-being. A child who cannot swim is at greater risk for drowning. Parents spend
considerable amounts on other lessons and sports that will never teach a
child any lifesaving skills. By comparison, knowing how to swim can
protect your child from death or serious permanent injury. It will also
provide a lifetime of enjoyment for your child. Financial Assistance is
available to those who qualify through ISR's
Community of Caring Scholarship Fund.
Where can I get information about becoming an ISR
Instructor?
For information about becoming an ISR
Instructor, visit http://careers.infantswim.com/