AQUATIC THERAPY
Pediatric Aquatic Therapy is an exciting and inviting way for children to engage
in therapy sessions. It provides a fun and sensory-supportive environment to
work on skills beyond the clinic setting. Treatment is targeted through various
games and activities while being in the water. The buoyancy of the water
provides consistent sensory feedback to children and allows children to move in ways that they may not be able to on land. The water adds a new dimension to the senses, giving resistance where it is needed and helping with movement
flow as required.
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Aquatic Therapies
Aquatic Occupational Therapy Benefits:
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This setting allows for practice of Daily Living Skills: Pre/post dressing routines.
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The water supports sensory processing deficits and underlying concerns.
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Activities are crafted to improve balance and coordination skills.
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Children show improved overall strength and endurance.
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Sessions implement Memory, Sequencing, and Other Cognitive Skills through various games and activities.
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Children engage in a variety of fun visual and fine motor skill activities.
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Provides social opportunities with other peers in the water.
Aquatic Speech Therapy Benefits:
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Provides a gentle, relaxing, and welcoming environment for a child to participate in speech.
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Water is motivating and reinforcing, assisting in speech engagement and development.
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Many children tolerate tactile cues more in the pool setting when used to facilitate speech production and articulation.
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Attention is often maintained for longer periods when in the water.
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Water has many perfect opportunities to play games & develop social language skills.
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Pictures and iPads can be adapted to be used for aquatic speech therapy sessions.
How we develop these skills in children
the pool can be transformed into a sensory room with different treatment stations that have different focuses such as memory development, coordination development, and proprioceptive and vestibular feedback. Each exercise and activity can include one or all the senses such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. as well as using memory, sequencing, and other cognitive processes. The water adds a new dimension to the senses, giving resistance where it is needed and helping with movement flow as required.
We have children working on daily living skills and routines:
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Before the pool children can practice undressing and dressing routines, and a toileting routine
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After each session, the children can practice showering, undressing, and dressing routines again
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Improves balance and coordination
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Participate in activities for fine motor, visual motor, and gross motor growth
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Children learn to tolerate new sensory experiences
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Social opportunities are available for children in the aquatic setting
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Children can work on memory, sequencing, and other cognitive processes