About Puggles Swim Course
The Puggles Swim online Course has been developed in partnership with Swim Coaches and Teachers Australia (SCTA), AUSTSWIM, leading swim instructors and course developers. It will up-skill swim teachers, arming them with key Auslan signs and increase their deaf awareness.
It delivers the tools and skills to overlay current learn-to-swim classes with deaf-friendly tactics. This will allow you and your swim school to include deaf or hard of hearing children in your swim classes.
The course takes a minimum of 3-hours and must be completed within three months. On completing the course, a swim teacher will receive a certificate recognising their new skills, earning them 3 Professional Development Points.
Your pool will also be eligible for a range of Puggles Swim assets so you can promote your new skills.
Puggles Swim has a specially designed swim kit to complement the course learnings. It includes cute floating characters, kickboards, stories, and waterproof Flashcard packs – featuring Auslan signs.
Latest News:
We’re excited to announce Royal Life Saving Society – Australia has endorsed Puggles Swim! We will be collaborating with RLSSA on a new Puggles Swim program.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing the course you will become a Puggles Skipper and be able to:
Confidently include a deaf or hard of hearing child in your current learn-to-swim lessons.
Understand: the difference between being deaf or hard of hearing, and the types of hearing loss.
Be ‘deaf aware’ – understand what it means to be deaf and how to connect with deaf people.
Develop a basic library of Auslan signs for swim relevant words.
Join a skilled community of deaf-aware swim teachers creating inclusive communities.
Pricing
To contact the team directly please email: pugglesswim@deafchildren.org.au
Puggles Swim Course
Regular Rate
- $72 per individual
- $408 per 6 enrolments
- $650 per 10 enrolments
Hear from the Skippers:
I completed the Puggles course through Superfins. I found it very informative - I developed a better understanding of the types of hearing loss and the impacts on daily life of the deaf and hard of hearing. Working in special needs in a primary school I spend much of my time using visual aids and other devices to aid comunication with students. The puggles course reinforced some key ideas such as the use of a multi faceted approach to lessons- incorporating preparing the student prior to the lesson, demonstration, visual aids, and communication which can include Auslan but also other forms such as hand gestures and facial expression. I found this a valuable course and am grateful for Superfins having given me the opportunity to participate in the course.
Denise
Telethon Superfins Learn to Swim“I just did the course and it's awesome. I have started using it and my kids are loving it whether they are hearing impaired or not. They are even trying to do the signs back to me. The kids I have with ADHD and autism have really taken to it and have been more attentive in class.”
Leigh
Swim TeacherI was given the opportunity to complete the Puggles course through Superfins, and it has been an incredibly valuable professional learning experience. Having worked in special needs education for over 15 years, I already had foundational knowledge of Auslan signing, which I use daily in my role. However, completing this course and gaining a formal qualification has significantly expanded my knowledge and, most importantly, strengthened my confidence when supporting students who are hard of hearing or deaf — both in the pool environment and in everyday school contexts.
The course reinforced the importance of clear, inclusive communication strategies and provided practical, structured tools that are immediately transferable into practice. These strategies are not only beneficial for students with hearing impairments, but also highly effective for students who are ESL learners, non-speaking or non-verbal, and those who use AAC systems. This makes the training broadly applicable across a wide range of student needs and learning profiles.
The impact of this course goes beyond skill development — it builds staff confidence, consistency, and capacity to deliver inclusive and accessible learning environments. The strategies taught enhance engagement, safety, communication, and student participation, particularly in high-risk environments such as aquatic settings.
I strongly recommend that the Puggles course continue to be offered to all new staff. The training provides practical, evidence-based strategies that benefit not only students with hearing disabilities, but also students with speech and language delays, communication needs, and diverse learning profiles. Ultimately, this course supports inclusive education practice and improves outcomes for all students.
Karina
Telethon Superfins Learn to Swim
