1. Building your Special Needs
Team
Presented By Tara Girch
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2. My qualifications…..
• Undergrad in Adaptive Physical Education
• Masters in Special Education
• Certifications include WSI, Ellis and Associates,
YMCA, USSSA, ISIA
• Over 30 years of swim lesson experience
• Over 20 years of Adaptive Aquatics experience
• Presneter, Safer 3 message
• Humanitarian Award, 2011
• Leadership in Business Award, 2011
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3. Building Your Team
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4. What Do We Look For?
• First Aid /CPR
• Lifeguard
• Adaptive Aquatics
• Background in Special Education
• Experience with children
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5. Training Checklist
• Learn the Disabilities
• 40 hours training
• Communicating with Parents
• Tools of the Lesson
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6. Special Needs/Disabilities
We Teach
• Autism
• Downs Syndrome
• Cerebral Palsy
• Visual/Auditory Impairment
• Mental Retardation
• Seizure Disorder
• Health Impairments
• Multiple Disabilities
• Siblings 6

7. Dana, flapping
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8. Repetition is key
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9. Downs Syndrome
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10. Cerebral Palsy
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11. Visual Impairment
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12. Seizure Disorder
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13. Multiply Disabled
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14. Siblings: one typical and one with
special needs
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15. 40 Hours Training
• 20 hours volunteer: shadowing
• 20 hours paid: student teaching
• Adaptive Aquatics course
• Complete Instructor Test
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16. Communicating with Parents
• No sympathy or pity
• Learn about the family
• Be firm- here to learn
firm-
• Ask about “idiosyncrasies” of the child
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17. Tools of the Lesson
• Barbells
• Kickboards
• Fins
• Ring
• Ducks
• Goggles
• Mirror
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18. Adaptations and modifications
• Earning boards
• Picture Cards
• Schedule
• Workout Plan
• Social Story
• Sign Language
• Creative devices
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19. Earning Boards
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20. Picture Cards
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21. Visual impairment adaptation
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22. Schedule
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23. Social Story
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24. Accessibility
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25. Get to know the students abilities
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26. Connor
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27. 27

28. 28

29. Fiona
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30. Patience, understanding and determination!!
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31. Communicate with The Aides
and Caretakers
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32. Lesson Consistency and
Structure
• Same Instructor
• Same Lesson
• Same Space
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33. Professionalism
• With Your Students
• With Your Families
• With Your Team
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34. With your Students
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35. With Your Families
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36. With your Team:
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37. The Lucky Duck Foundation, Inc.
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38. Camps
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39. MarTar Swimming LLC Proprietary 39
information.

40. Surfers Healing Ocean City, MD
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information.

41. MarTar Swimming LLC Proprietary information. 41

42. Folly Beach, 2011
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43. Autism Society, Special Olympics Walk,
Honestly Autism Day and more
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44. MarTar School became the pilot
program for Howard County
Special Olympics “begin to Swim”
in 2010, this is our 3rd year…we
have 30 participants

45. Funding Agencies-Maryland
Abilities Network - (410) 828-7700
Alliance - (410) 282-5900
Arc of Howard County - (410) 730-0638
Arc of Baltimore - (410) 296-2272
Athelas - (410) 964-1241
Bello Machre - (410) 255-3805
Chimes - (410) 585-2065
Creative Options - (410) 780-4095
Humanim - (410) 381-7171
Self Pride - (410) 752-2575
United Cerebral Palsy - (410) 744-3151
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46. Guidelines subject to your
individual School
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