Innovative program helps kids with more than just getting fit
SM SWIM CENTER Her limp has almost disappeared, she hasn’t had to use laxatives in weeks and she’s swimming on her own — all major developments for Mia Macias, a 4-year-old suffering from a congenital heart disease and cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that can severely limit one’s ability to move.
Mia’s mother, Irma Macias, credits a new therapy regimen designed by the folks at BIG FUN Therapy and Recreational Services, which recently began offering the Gene Pool technique at the Santa Monica Swim Center.
By combining gymnastics with swimming exercises, the technique helps children with special needs stay physically fit, while at the same, build social skills to help them interact with their peers.
“I can’t even explain how wonderful it has been for her,” Irma Macias said of Big Fun. “No one would have ever expected her to be swimming on her own, and now she’s jumping into the pool. She’s using muscles she never did before and it’s a big thing for her.
“The doctor said ‘whatever she’s doing, keep doing it because it’s working.’”
It’s working so well that Irma Macias drives her daughter all the way from Azusa once a week to the Swim Center for treatment, a long road trip but one that is worth it because of the benefits.
“She’s much happier now and so is our family,”Irma Macias said.“We’re all happy to see the improvements.
The Swim Center is the latest of 23 facilities to host BIG FUN, now serving nearly 500 children throughout Southern California and Arizona, said Gene Hurwin, executive director of BIG FUN, which is based in Culver City.
“Santa Monica has a beautiful pool and the nice weather permits us to operate all year round outdoors,” Hurwin said. “Everyone has been very welcoming to these families and it really shows (Santa Monica’s) commitment to the community.”
More than 60 kids are enrolled at the Swim Center and the list is growing, Hurwin said.
Sessions at BIG FUN empower children to maintain the strength and endurance demands of peer play when at a playground. The BIG FUN sensory diet teaches self-regulation and modulation of behaviors which, in turn, helps children be more alert and organized at school and relaxed at restaurants, the shopping mall, and family outings and gatherings, Hurwin said.
BIG FUN started in 1999 as Hurwin and over 50 coaches and therapists sought to combine gymnastics with traditional occupational and physical therapy. The idea was to make therapy fun for kids, many of whom are autistic, while also providing a steady challenge that could last the rest of their lives.
“There’s never a time when we say to the child that there is nothing else we can do for them and they are discharged,” Hurwin said. “With gymnastics there is always more to do, moving to new levels and new extremes. We are only limited by our own imagination.
By brining kids into the water, Hurwin said he is able to tackle two issues at once, the physical limitations and mental inhibitions. Kids build up their strength and their confidence by running through drills designed by their instructors. During their sessions, which cost $70 an hour, kids learn how to use muscles they may not have ever used before and they also overcome fears of being in the water.
“Many kids with autism cannot stand the feel of water on their bodies,” Hurwin said. “We slowly integrate them to this new world and get them comfortable to the point that they are now swimming.”
By building endurance, BIG FUN builds up one’s confidence too. Often times at the playground, a child with special needs is unable to keep up with their peers, succumbing to fatigue and eventually dropping out of the activity. This can lead other youth to not pick that special needs child to play next time, creating a sense of isolation for the child, who is excluded.
“But if we can get a kid in the water here, he or she is committed and says ‘I can do this,’” Hurwin said. “Once that happens, we have removed one big barrier for kids who say ‘I can’t keep up,’ or ‘I have nothing to offer the group.’”
Irma Macias said she will continue to send her child, Mia, to the Swim Center for as long as she can manage. Her daughter loves her instructor and has memorized her swimming routine. The Swim Center is perfect for Mia because it has shallow pools that are only a few feet deep.
“She likes the fact that she can touch the bottom if she has too,” Irma Macias said. “It makes her feel a little safer.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 3, 2007. Read the original PDF.