Ages 6 to 12 months
Rollback to Float, for babies 6 to 12 months in Helotes
Coach Glare teaches your baby to roll onto their back, float, rest and breathe, and to stay there until help arrives.
What the roll protects against
The fall ISR Self-Rescue prepares a baby for is a face-down fall into the water, with no air and no one beside them yet. Rollback to Float is the answer to that one moment: the baby turns over onto their back, and from there they can breathe.
ISR says a baby does not need to perceive danger or be afraid to respond. If a baby has learned to roll over and float when they need air, what they need is skill, practice and confidence to deal with it calmly. That is what Glare builds in Helotes, lesson by lesson.
ISR is a drowning prevention programme rather than a traditional swim class, and it says its lessons greatly increase a child's chance of surviving an aquatic accident. It does not teach children under 6 months old, who ISR says are not neurologically mature enough to benefit from ISR instruction.
An infant floating face up on the surface of a pool, eyes half closed
How a ten-minute lesson builds it
A course runs 4 to 6 weeks, with a ten-minute lesson each day, Monday to Friday, one-on-one with Glare in the water. Short and daily is the method: the baby practises the same sequence again and again. Roll to the back. Float. Rest. Breathe. Hold that position until help arrives.
Parents stay out of the water. ISR's reasoning is that it does not want the baby to first associate the water with a parent's love and attention, and that teaching an emergency response takes a level of objectivity parents often find hard with their own child.
Babies often fuss in the first few lessons, because the place and the people are new. ISR says the fussing decreases as the child grows more confident in the water. Glare works from each child's own strengths, and you can call her on (321) 662-3718 to ask how your baby is doing.
After the course: refreshers and staying in touch
Refresher lessons are recommended as the child grows, so the skills keep pace with a bigger body. ISR charges a $35 enrollment fee for refresher classes, paid to ISR.
ISR's FAQ also warns that habits can slip in between: floating in a bathtub or playing on the steps can interfere with the skills a child has learned. Staying in touch with Coach Glare, and returning to her in good time, is how you find out what to watch for.
"She is kind, patient and caring. She goes above and beyond to teach your child and ensure they are safe in water." Cassie Sedgley, Google review of ISR San Antonio in Helotes.