The Oct 2020 edition of Autism Parenting Magazine expounds on the benefits. “Imagine there was a way to improve your child’s concentration, mental alertness, responsiveness, and peace of mind in 30-40 minutes. The day-to-day challenges faced by autistic children like anxiety, concentration, overstimulation, and social interaction can all be improved.”

For individuals with an ASD diagnosis, the sensory experience of being immersed adds a layer of calm that can’t be duplicated anywhere else.

“In the water, everything feels calmer. It’s like all the noise, feelings, and business of the outside world just stop. The feeling of the water is interesting, and the way light moves through it can be fascinating.”

In addition to all of the benefits of learning to swim and having autism, you might also stop your child from being another statistic! It’s estimated that one out every 59 individuals has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and according to a 2012 study in Pediatrics, 49% of children with ASD have a tendency to wander or bolt from safe settings. Individuals with ASD are often attracted to water yet have little to no sense of danger. Drowning is a leading cause of death in children with ASD. – (NAA – National Autism Association). Give the gift of lifesaving swim lessons this season and help your child become “One With The Water! ”

*Private and public lessons available in packages of four and eight.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Swimming and Autism: Does it really make a difference? appeared first on One with the Water.

A student enrolled in the Pasadena, California, Art Center College of Design at the time of the Project Elle, Ms. Tosin was driven by her desire to create functional design and meaningful human experience that changes the way people think, feel, and do.

Project Elle

One with the Water® provided professional participation as a mentor and swimming expert.  Coach Kenneth Rippetoe co-designed a prosthetic leg used as swimwear that would most replicate and assist an amputee while swimming, to overcome a lack of balance, help the swimmer gain stability, and have the same mechanical advantages of a human leg.

The most prominent design challenges to the project, according to Ms. Tosin herself, included compensating for the imbalanced buoyancy created by a missing limb, the multifunctionality needed for launch, swimming, and turning, and finally, ensuring a comfortable, secure fit capable of handling the workload.

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Final Design

The final design featured a support liner and elastic bands sewn into compression fabrics. We created an adjustable air chamber to provide buoyancy for maintaining the streamline position. The “ankle” is flexible to optimize starts and turns, and the device comes with an interchangeable fin, depending on the swimmer’s foot size.

The result? Elle, A game-changing prosthetic device for single-leg below the knee amputees to swim and compete with their peers, now with swimwear available as well.

For more information on the product, check out Della’s website here.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Project Elle Revisited: Prosthetic Swimming Leg appeared first on One with the Water.

One with the Water, a nonprofit swim school dedicated to providing access to the lifesaving skill of swimming to everyone, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources, is honored and pleased to announce they’ve been awarded a generous grant from the Santa Monica chapter of the international Kiwanis organization. One with the Water will use the money provided to fund individual scholarships for special needs children with limited financial resources.

In past years, Kiwanis grant money received has been gifted to a wide range of children with issues ranging from COPD, downs syndrome, and heart conditions to Fragile X, severe autism, and ADHD. Without fail, the opportunity to become one with the water while learning to swim has had a profound positive effect on these courageous, committed athletes. We look forward to what another year will bring.

About One with the Water

One with the Water believes that everyone deserves access to the lifesaving skill of swimming, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources. Swimming lessons are taught using growth-mindset techniques, creating transformative miracles in their students both in and out of the water, as they shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. The organization is staffed by professional swimmers, expert competitive swimmers, and former Olympians. Founder, Executive Director, and Head Coach Kenneth Rippetoe has a Level 5 Disability Certification with the American Swimming Coaches Association and has trained with Kahlon Family Services and Inizio Interventions to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs. Tax-deductible donations to the One with the Water Swimming Foundation can be made at the organization’s website: OneWithTheWater.org.

About Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica

The mission of the international Kiwanis organization is to empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Established in 1922, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica is one of the top contributors to the children and community of Santa Monica, providing $30,000 worth of college scholarships last year and volunteering both time and money to support the local Boys and Girls clubs and multiple other local nonprofits serving the children of Santa Monica.

Contact:

For more information, visit www.kiwanisclubsm.org
Media Inquiries: One with the Water: 323.364.Swim (7946)
Website: OneWithTheWater.org

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post One with the Water Awarded New Kiwanis Club Grant appeared first on One with the Water.

As 2019 is ending, we’d like to take a moment and say thank you. Our mission at One with the Water is to provide access to the lifesaving skill of swimming to everyone, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources.

Steven is a ten-year-old boy with a complicated mood disorder. Starting out, Guy was like every other child, happy and enjoying his little life. Between the ages of 3 and 6, behavioral issues began to occur that defied any typical diagnosis. After suffering abuse at the hands of a biological relative, Steven’s problems began to escalate. His mother fought for accurate diagnosis for years, finally getting help even as Steven’s issues peaked with self-harming and threats of suicide. 

With new doctors and a tailored treatment plan, Steven began participating in the swim lessons offered at One with the Water this year and loves it! He received a full scholarship and has made vast improvements in his personality and anger issues. 

The problem for children like Steven is real. According to decades of research, children with disabilities are statistically more likely to present in a low-income environment. (The average cost of private swim lessons in Los Angeles is over $200/month).

We know, again, based on decades of research, how powerful the therapeutic benefits of swimming can be for children with special needs. Water buoyancy allows previously restricted individuals to move freely and helps build muscle in low muscle tone individuals. Additionally, self-regulation, speech, oral motor control, strength, and coordination are just a few areas that can improve with therapy in the water.

Research also shows that participation in swimming for individuals with disabilities afforded the participants heightened senses of self-concept, independence, ability and pride, and an enhanced perceived quality of life. Athletes found that they were able to redefine their physical capabilities, strengthen social connections, and improve acceptance among their peers.

Lifesaving swim lessons create safer, happier, healthier, more confident kids. We can’t do it without you. As your year draws to an end, consider giving to One with the Water as part of your year-end giving plan. 

Finish strong by saving lives. Join us by donating to help provide need-based scholarships for high risk, high need children. When you give to One with the Water, you impact a child’s life on every plane – mentally, physically, and emotionally, for their lifetime. Please donate today to provide the lifesaving skill of swimming to those who need it most.

*Name changed for privacy reasons.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Give to Save Lives appeared first on One with the Water.

This Giving Tuesday, you have the opportunity to be the neighborhood hero and offer life changing transformation to local kids who need it most. 

The harsh reality is that one in every five drowning deaths occur in children under the age of fourteen, and accidental drowning is the leading cause of death in California between the ages of 1 and 4. Children with special needs have increased drowning risk factors and are statistically more likely to present in low income families, creating a potentially fatal combination of high risk and little to no resources to address the dangers.

Help prevent drowning this Giving Tuesday.

Drowning prevention for members of our most vulnerable populations is literally a matter of life and death. Aside from an increased risk of drowning, children with permanent disabilities who lack consistent therapeutic interventions face increased isolation, increased care requirements, decreased mental health, increased fear and anxiety, and shortened life expectancy.

Swimming provides measurable health and therapeutic benefits for our special needs community, in and out of the water. From better balance and gross motor skills, to improved speech and communication, our athletes are changing their lives by learning to swim. Their risk of accidental drowning plummets by 88%. Being a part of a team reduces isolation and creates positive peer relationships that carry over outside of the pool. And finally, they have the confidence to conquer their fears.

For seven years now, One with the Water has been offering need-based scholarships for premium swimming lessons to children with special needs, service disabled veterans, and low income families in Los Angeles county. Staffed by expert competitive swimmers and former Olympians, we have the only Level 5 Disability certified swim coach in Southern California.

 Be A Local Hero

We know you want to be compassionate, involved members of your community. When you donate to One with the Water, you create real and lasting change in the lives of our adaptive athletes. They are confident, courageous, successful, and safe, thanks to you!

All you need to do is give.

Every dollar you give, whether it’s $10 or $200, goes DIRECTLY to providing swim lessons. Each penny counts, so don’t be intimidated by large amounts. It takes a village, and you are ours.

Communities are changing. Families are changing. Lives are changing. Don’t miss your chance.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Be a hero this Giving Tuesday appeared first on One with the Water.

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities.” 

Children with dyslexia are often bright, creative individuals who are otherwise cognitively successful. How can sports and swimming, in particular, assist someone in managing dyslexia and flourishing at life? 

First of all, as we’ve discussed at length here, regular physical activity improves concentration, focus, and mood, as well as relieving stress. Swimming, in particular, also does the following:

• Improves flexibility within the joints and muscles.
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system.
• Strengthens the major muscle groups in the upper and lower body.
• Helps improve lung capacity, leading to higher oxygen intake, which allows for increased focus in the classroom.
• Additionally, swimming acts as a calming, meditative experience due to the rhythmic, repetitive motion in a quiet, sensory-friendly environment. This aspect of swimming is particularly crucial for students with dyslexia to offset the often stressful day to day work of managing dyslexia in the classroom.

Managing Dyslexia Through Sport

Beyond the health benefits, experts agree that playing sports can normalize a dyslexic child’s experience, allowing them to be peers on the playing field (or in the pool). Athletes learn the value of teamwork, increase self-esteem, establish an identity not rooted in failure and struggle, and learn valuable lessons like the positive results of hard work, plus organizational and planning skills that can be transferred back into the classroom. As one father described it, achieving results in the pool gave his son John the belief that real effort could produce results outside the pool as well. Not only that, the pool improved his overall fitness and was something he loved to do.

And according to this guide for teaching dyslexic students in sports, the strengths of students with dyslexia do lend themselves to excelling in the physical arena. Advantages that include (but are not limited to 

• Multi-sensory learning styles that are particularly suited to sporting activities; 
• Multi-dimensional thinking and perception
• An acute awareness of the environment 
• Originality and creativity in their approach to problem-solving 
• Determination to succeed 
• Endurance and ability to practice the same skill over and over again, even if there is little apparent progress

“Athletics puts them in a position in which they are equal to their peers—they help each other, they cooperate, they pull together, and they learn to accept both winning and losing with grace and maturity.”

If you or your child struggle with dyslexia, consider our premium swim lessons as a path to success both in and out of the water. Register today! 

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Swimming and Dyslexia: Powerful Partners. appeared first on One with the Water.

General health benefits for adaptive athletes.

Physical benefits: General overall health improvements from swimming include: low impact for mobility restricted individuals, improved cardiovascular health, improved flexibility and muscle tone, range of movement, and can provide positive assists in meeting therapeutic goals outside the pool.

Psychological benefits: Recent studies have proven that adaptive athletes report a proportionate increase of positive self-identity with increased physical activity. In the first study, designed to counteract the metaphors and descriptors used for athletes with disabilities, there were three overarching themes.

• Don’t treat athletes differently
• Exercise assists in managing emotions
• Physical activity balances others’ negative perceptions

In the second study, explicitly done on swimmers, athletes also reported similar findings.

• A strong self-identity
• A moderate to strong social identity
• Negative affectivity with lower levels of exclusivity
• Strong competitiveness and goal orientation

But why the swim team?

For adaptive athletes, there are specific benefits of joining a swim team, especially athletes with socialization barriers and self or peer-directed exclusion from neuro-typical events. Adaptive athletes who participate in swim teams benefit from the following:

• Better sport-specific coaching.
• More rigorous training.
• More competition in practice.
• Higher expectations than they are likely to receive in other settings.
• More socialization opportunities.
• Greater independence in activities of daily living.
• Improved ability to cope with limitations imposed by disabilities. (Source).

The data is clear on all fronts. Joining a swim team creates a next level positive impact on the pre-existing physical, emotional, and mental benefits derived from swimming. Register today for an opportunity to join our adaptive athletes swim team!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Should your adaptive athlete join a swim team? appeared first on One with the Water.

“You have the power to change you.” – Jamal Hill

L.A. based hometown hero Jamal Hill started swimming in mommy and me swim lessons and fell in love with the sport almost instantly. However, after swimming consistently throughout elementary school, Jamal was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndromex, a genetic disease affecting his extremities and causing him to be partially paralyzed for years.

Jamal began swimming again in high school and throughout college, but it wasn’t until age 23 that he let go of the shame he carried over his diagnosis and embraced all that his body could do, setting his sights on the Paralympic Games in Tokyo next year, 2020.

Watch the short doc produced and directed by John Duarte and hear Jamal tell his incredible, inspiring story in his own words.

Swim Up Hill – A short doc on US Paralympic Swimmer, Jamal Hill from John Duarte on Vimeo.

Jamal is a shining example of what the growth mindset looks like in action, and should remind us all just how much we are capable of when we work with persistent, consistent, quality effort, recognizing our weaknesses and applying the necessary change to grow.

Learn more here about our coaching philosophy using the growth mindset.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post The Inspiring Story of Paralympic Swimmer Jamal Hill appeared first on One with the Water.

One with the Water, a non-profit swim school dedicated to providing access to the lifesaving skill of swimming to everyone, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources, is honored and pleased to announce they’ve been awarded a generous grant from the Santa Monica chapter of the international Kiwanis organization. Approaching their eighth anniversary this August, One with the Water will use the money provided to fund individual scholarships for special needs children with limited financial resources. Children like Nicole.

Nicole was born healthy. For seven years, she was a normal, happy vivacious girl – until the seizures started. At age seven, she was diagnosed with epilepsy, which spiraled rapidly out of control. Therapy, medication, nothing worked to slow her seizures, which culminated in a seizure that left her with permanent damage on her right side.

When Nicole started swimming lessons with One with the Water, she rolled onto the pool deck in a wheelchair. Now, she walks onto the pool deck with her mother and brother each day, a huge grin on her face. The benefits of swimming are evident in all her therapies, increasing her strength and mobility at a rapid rate. She loves the water most though, and for those thirty minutes each time, she works hard, stretching her arms across the lane, stitching uncooperative muscle fiber and wayward neurons back together. For Nicole, swimming has restored her in more ways than one.

About One with the Water

One with the Water believes that everyone deserves access to the lifesaving skill of swimming, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources. Swimming lessons are taught using growth-mindset techniques, creating transformative miracles in their students both in and out of the water, as they shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. The organization is staffed by professional swimmers, expert competitive swimmers, and former Olympians. Founder, Executive Director, and Head Coach Kenneth Rippetoe has a Level 5 Disability Certification with the American Swimming Coaches Association and has trained with Kahlon Family Services and Inizio Interventions to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs. Tax-deductible donations to the One with the Water Swimming Foundation can be made at the organization’s website: OneWithTheWater.org.

About Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica

The mission of the international Kiwanis organization is to empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Established in 1922, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica is one of the top contributors to the children and community of Santa Monica, providing $30,000 worth of college scholarships last year and volunteering both time and money to support the local Boys and Girls clubs and multiple other local nonprofits serving the children of Santa Monica.

For more information, visit www.kiwanisclubsm.org
Media Inquiries: One with the Water: 323.364.Swim (7946)
Website: OneWithTheWater.org

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post One With The Water Receives Generous Grant from Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica appeared first on One with the Water.

“ASCA develops and supports professional coaches and quality career opportunities in collaboration with its partners in the world aquatics community. We are an independent professional association based on a central theme of: “Leadership, Education, Certification.” We are dedicated to creating and enhancing solutions that are effective in strengthening and improving the coaching profession, American swimming, and World Swimming.”

The qualifications necessary to achieve this level of accomplishment and acknowledgment as a leader in his field are extensive and stringent. To achieve the ASCA Level 5 Disability Coach certification, a coach must: Successfully complete the ASCA Level 5: Administration School; have a minimum of 50 Experience points; and meet specific achievement and contribution criteria.

• On international coaches list for their respective organization; AND a minimum of 2 athletes who have medaled at a Paralympic Games or Deaflympics; OR
• Four athletes who have medaled at a World Championships; OR ten athletes who have been finalists at a Paralympic Games or Deaflympics
• Serve in a leadership role at the international level; AND have made significant contributions internationally to the sport.

Currently, Coach Rippetoe is the only Level Five coach in the state of California. His knowledge will allow him to continuously provide specific and goal-oriented swim programs for disabled individuals, including those diagnosed on the autism spectrum, ADD, ADHD, sensory integration, anxiety, Down and CHARGE syndrome, auditory processing disorders, and dyslexia. Coach Rippetoe and his team develop customized plans for each swimmer. With sensitivity and compassion, they use mechanical engineering strategies to analyze body mechanics and assist in applying physics to swimming techniques.

The result is two-fold: students are able to advance their swimming skills while increasing their chances of becoming competitive swimmers. Register today to access our expert swim coaching tailored to your child’s needs.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post New Achievements in Disability Coach Certification appeared first on One with the Water.