Drowning Prevention & Inclusive Swim Education with Rhiannon Kocmar

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I had the privilege of speaking with Rhiannon Kocmar, the National Educational Manager at SWIM Australia. With a 27-year career spanning teaching, coaching, and advocating for water safety, Rhiannon is at the forefront of initiatives supporting neurodivergent children in swimming. She is deeply passionate about water safety, drowning prevention, and creating inclusive environments for children of all abilities. In this powerful episode, we discussed:💦 The high drowning risk for autistic children and the need for water safety education. 💦 How sensory needs, wandering, and safety awareness impact water risk. 💦 Swim Australia’s efforts, including inclusive programs and a neurodiversity course. 💦 Barriers like cost, access, and sensory overwhelm preventing swim lessons. 💦 The Swim It Forward initiative, covering swim costs for families in need. 💦 Swimming as a life-saving skill every child should learn.Swimming is more than just a sport—it’s a life-saving skill that every child deserves to learn. If you're a parent, educator, or swim teacher, this episode is a must-listen! 🎧 Listen now to hear Rhiannon’s story and learn how we can create safer, more inclusive swim education.🏊 Want to become a swim teacher? Visit ⁠swim.org.au/education💦 SplashSave – Helping every child access water safety education. ⁠Learnmore  🤝 SWIM It Forward – ⁠Donate to help disadvantaged families access swim lessons. Lots of love, RitaDisclaimer: the purpose of this podcast is to provide information. You must not rely on the information on this podcast as an alternative to speech and language therapy. You must always consult with a Speech Pathologist, GP and/or paediatrician if you have any concerns about your child's communication and/development