How is ISR Different?
Before you take your child to the local pool for swimming lessons, make sure you've given consideration to the critical importance of swimming and water safety techniques. ISR is the safest swimming instruction program nationwide, teaching children the proprietary ISR Self-Rescue® method, which gives children the competence and confidence to safely enjoy the water. No other swimming class offers a proven system for safely teaching your child to enjoy the fun of swimming, while at the same time teaching life-saving skills that have proven to save lives.

What are regular swim classes really teaching your child?
There are thousands of swimming instructors nationwide, and parents can easily find a person or an organization willing to teach swimming to young children. Such programs can be found at many recreational facilities, community pools or even national safety organizations and swim school organizations, none of which have, or utilize a proven system designed to teach your child how to save his or her own life.

Although many programs for young children focus on a water orientation approach, using songs and games to get children to enjoy being in the water,  this approach does not teach your child any of the skills necessary for survival. Many lessons even teach children that the water is a fun place to play without teaching them any meaningful swimming skills. This approach may actually make a child more vulnerable to drowning, as he is taught that the water is a fun place to be 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.

Flotation Devices - Hazards
Flotation devices such as vests, arm bands, flotation swim suits, etc, 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.

ISR - Results
ISR's proprietary ISR Self-Rescue® method has unmatched results:

• ISR has trained more than 200,000 babies and delivered more than 7 million lessons across the United States.

• ISR is the only behaviourally-based swimming instruction program proven to save lives

• To date, ISR has 789 documented cases of children using ISR techniques to save themselves from drowning.

ISR's foundation of continuous research and evaluation ensures the safety of the program for your child.

Technique
ISR uses both verbal and non-verbal cues which enables ISR Instructors to teach children as young as 6 months old. Even though your child might not communicate verbally yet, he or she can learn ISR’s Self-Rescue® technique. Remember that though your child may not talk, he or she has learned to crawl, walk and even run, which are the skills that could put him in danger around the water.

Unlike other swimming lessons your child's ISR Self-Rescue® lessons:

• Are customized and taught one-on-one by a certified ISR Instructor

• Last for 10 minutes, Monday through Friday, for 4 to 6 weeks

• Emphasize health, ongoing program evaluations and parent education

• Provide your child with the competence and confidence to safely enjoy the water

• Offer extensive parent education on safety in and around the water

Safety
ISR's safety record and proven instruction techniques are uniquely tailored to your child's needs based on comprehensive assessment and continual monitoring of your child's health and skill attainment by certified ISR instructors.

For your child's well-being and comfort, prior to lessons you receive BUDS (bowel, urine, diet, sleep) forms. This sheet tracks the unique physiology of your child, including bowel movements, frequency of urination, diet and meal-times, and the duration of every sleep episode in a 24-hour period. Before each lesson, your ISR Instructor will review the BUDS sheet and ask you further questions if necessary, and use the information provided to individualize the lesson for your child. If your Instructor feels any of these key measurements are not as they should be, your child's lesson will not take place. The BUDS sheet ensures your child learns in a healthy and safe environment.