Teaching individuals to swim first begins with assessing their abilities and determining what challenges may cause obstacles to achieving swim skills or creating an unsafe aquatic environment. Assessing the individual on land and in the water will provide a clear understanding of their abilities. Ascertaining what the person can do in combination with acquiring knowledge of their disability and its implications for aquatics will help determine what modifications will be needed. When modifying strokes, it is important to consider the following:

• Body Position - Body position modifications can include utilizing floatation devices near joints with limited movement or joints with contractions, the use of weights on areas of the body for proper body alignment and the use of various holding and positioning techniques with individuals for improved stroke development, skill acquisition and safe aquatic learning environment.
• Breathing - is an integral component of most swim strokes. However modifications for breathing can be made for optimal skill acquisition. These modifications can include using a snorkel to assist a swimmer who has limited neck movement, assisting breathing to front by positioning yourself in front of the swimmer and pushing up on the chest and supporting the chin to lift the head and face and teaching back strokes to individuals who lack head control or who need to take rest breaks from rhythmic breathing.
• Leg Action - modifications can improve kick efficiency and skill acquisition. Modifications may include utilizing fins to help a swimmer feel the origination point of a kick, increase the speed of the kick and to improve kick mechanics. Additional modifications include using physical assistance during the initial teaching phase (it is important to always get permission from the swimmer to provide physical assistance), using weights for body alignment, reassessment of body position and experimenting with different strokes and kicks that promote the swimmer's abilities and allow for successful skill acquisition.