Karen began serving special need students 40+ years ago in Champaign, Illinois through her private program, Mac Tay Aquatic Schools, and affiliated with the University of Illinois Departments of Education and Kinesiology. The fall of 2003, Karen moved to Sioux City, Iowa and began a unique partnership with the Sioux City Community Schools forming Siouxland Aquatics utilizing the three high school pools.
In January 2007, Karen’s goal was to provide extended programming for students with special needs in the Sioux City Community School District through its very own programming. Karen received a grant from the Kind World Foundation of the Siouxland Community Foundation to pilot Big Splash, providing instructional adapted swimming and aquatic therapy two days per week during the school year for Sioux City Com. School District special need students.
Returning to Dickinson County
January 2016 – Karen moved back to the Spirit Lake area in Dickinson County, Iowa; in semi-retirement she began consulting with area school districts to continue Big Splash for students with special needs. The Okoboji Community School District and Spirit Lake Community School District committed to provide Big Splash for their students with special needs beginning the fall of 2016. Spirit Lake Elementary and Preschool classrooms began programming October 2016. Okoboji Preschool and Elementary classrooms began programming November 2016. Okoboji Middle School classroom began February 2017.
Fall 2017 – Six classrooms from the two school districts are conducting Big Splash programming, serving 40+ students.
October 2017 – Derreck Wills, Director of the University of Iowa’s Center for Disabilities and Development visited the Big Splash Program.
February 2018 – Programming began for “At-Risk” Okoboji Elementary students before school as a pilot program with six students.
April 2018 – Caitlin B. Owens, Program Manager of the University of Iowa’s Center for Disabilities and Development visited the Big Splash Program.
June 2018 – Began for “At-Risk” Okoboji Elementary students a summer pilot program for eleven students.
Fall 2018 – Danielle Dunn, spring graduate of Luther College, began a school-year-long internship with the Big Splash program. Danielle plans to continue her education in pediatric physical/occupational therapy the fall of 2019.
Fall 2018 – Seven classrooms from the two schools of Spirit Lake and Okoboji are conducting Big Splash programming serving 68+ students.
January 2019 – “Swim Little Friend,” written by Karen Taylor Burton, illustrated by Brandon Coffman, is published. CDs produced and performed by Jinny Sloan Perrin, music and lyrics by Pan Socie.
The school districts of Dickinson County, Iowa have seen a 35% increase in the number of children identified with special needs. While processing disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and mood disorders are the bulk of the increase, the number of children that have severe mental and physical needs has also increased. The number of behavioral issues related to sensory and language processing, executive functions deficits; and emotion control has doubled the need for creative preventative programs such as the At-Risk and Success interventions. Due to the fact that we are surrounded by water, the need for aquatic proficiency is necessary. Big Splash is the answer to these needs.
Aside from the wellness benefits of Big Splash that are evident in the Physical Education assessments, Special Education teachers whose students participate in Big Splash estimate that classroom productivity would double if students had the opportunity to swim at the beginning of every day. As Dr. Linda Madison, Associate Superintendent of the Sioux City Community School District wrote, “Students who have trouble walking are able to move freely in the water. Children who have trouble with audible skills, more specifically children with autism, are stimulated by the medium of water and their experience at Big Splash; as a direct result they begin to talk.”