Certified ISR Instructor

ISR CenLa - Keeping Kids Safe

Welcome to ISR CenLa, where your child's safety is our top priority. Meet Olivia, a dedicated ISR Certified Instructor passionate about preventing childhood drownings.

I was born and raised in Alexandria, La and moved to Orlando, FL to finish college. I love the water and always wanted to live in Florida, so when a Disney World representatives offered me a summer job at Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando I gladly accepted. I was a lifeguard and lifeguard coordinator/instructor for 8 years. I then went to fire school and enjoyed a 10-year career as a firefighter/paramedic. While working as a firefighter/paramedic, I decided attend nursing school and worked as a RN in the Neonatal ICU for 5 years.

I learned about ISR through friends at the fire department. My children were 8 months and 19 months when I enrolled them into ISR lessons. I was so amazed at the self-rescue skills they learned and the confidence they gained in the water. I wanted everyone I knew in Alexandria to go through ISR, unfortunately there were no instructors in the Cenla area. I knew that had to change. I became a certified ISR instructor so I could help “not one more child drown” here in Cenla and have been teaching little ones water safety for 12 years now!

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Welcome to ISR CenLa with Olivia DeRosa - Your Expert in Infant Self-Rescue in Central Louisiana!

Hello there! I'm Olivia DeRosa, your dedicated ISR instructor bringing peace of mind to families in Central Louisiana. With 12 years of experience and a laser focus on infant and young child swim safety, I am here to guide your little ones towards water competency and confidence. At ISR CenLa, we believe that not one more child should suffer from accidental drowning, and that's why we are committed to providing top-notch survival swimming lessons. Our specialized approach caters to special needs children, ensuring that every child receives the tailored instruction they deserve. Come join us at our welcoming facility as we work together to instill life-saving skills in your little swimmer. Let's make water a place of fun and safety for all children!

A little about my background! I was born and raised in Alexandria, La and moved to Orlando, FL to finish college. My love for the water has always steered me towards Florida, so when a Disney World representatives offered me a summer job at Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando I gladly accepted. I was a lifeguard and lifeguard coordinator/instructor there for 8 years. I wanted to improve on those skills so I became a Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Orlando and enjoyed a 10-year career there. While working as a firefighter/paramedic, I decided to attend nursing school and worked as a RN in the Neonatal ICU for 5 years.

I learned about ISR through friends at the fire department. My children were 8 months and 19 months when I enrolled them into ISR lessons. I was so amazed at the self-rescue skills they learned and the confidence they gained in the water. I wanted everyone I knew in Alexandria to go through ISR, unfortunately there were no instructors in the CenLa area. I knew that had to change. I became a certified ISR instructor so I could help “not one more child drown” here in CenLa and have been teaching little ones water safety ever since!

FAQs

Can’t babies swim naturally?

Unfortunately, babies cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there wouldn’t be so many drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 in the United States.

How do you teach them to hold their breath?

Breath holding skills are taught beginning with the first lesson. We shape breath control using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. We continue to reinforce these breath-holding techniques throughout every lesson.

Why do you have the children swim in clothes?

Because 86% of children who fall in the water do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, he/she is less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand. If you have ever jumped in the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel with clothes as opposed to a bathing suit.

Why are lessons 5 days per week and for only 10 minutes?

The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children. Research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention. Second, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning. A third reason is that, though the pool temperature is maintained at 78-88 degrees, the temperature is still lower than your child's body temperature. Lessons are work and therefore will also be losing body heat. Instructors check students regularly for temperature fatigue since this is an indicator of physical fatigue.

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