Aquatic OT or Adaptive Swim Lessons?

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 Swim Skills or Therapy? Understanding the Differences 
 In this episode of "Animals and Aquatic," host Ryan, a certified occupational therapy assistant, delves into the similarities and differences between aquatic occupational therapy (OT) and adaptive swim lessons. Ryan discusses the unique goals, interventions, and documentation requirements of each approach, highlighting the importance of swim skills for children's safety and independence. Drawing from personal experience, Ryan explores the motivations behind starting an adaptive swim program and emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of swimming and water activities. Listeners gain insight into the intersection of OT and adaptive swim, ultimately recognizing the value of both approaches in promoting holistic well-being. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello, and welcome to animalsand aquatic.
Some Ryan certified occupationaltherapy assistant.
And your host for today.
And today I'd like to talk alittle bit about the
similarities and differencesbetween aquatic, occupational
therapy and adaptive swimlessons.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB (00:15):
So occupational therapy is a
healthcare service and you needto be licensed per your state
guidelines.
In order to be a practitioner.
Your goals are going to bedetermined by your scope of
practice, as well as theclinical condition of the child
that you're working with.
And while swimming may work onsome of those common.

(00:42):
Issues or difficulties that ourclients are dealing with.
It's not the same as that.
The goals for an adaptive swimprogram are going to be very
different from an occupationaltherapy session.
A lot of times I look at.
Aquatic OT as a preparatoryphase to help a child get into

(01:07):
either an adaptive swim programor mainstreamed into normal swim
lessons.
And so we, we may work on someof the same underlying factors
that are Inhibiting a child fromparticipating in those more
mainstream lessons.
The goals are not necessarilygoing to reflect that.

(01:28):
So licensure requirements,that's going to be dependent
upon the state and passing anational board certification
test.
Documentation.
So, like any other medicalservice, OT sessions need to be
documented.
And there's a specific ways thatyou have to go about that.
Interestingly, some of our Iguess what we would look at as

(01:49):
low hanging fruit and OT wouldbe things like safety.
And so the pool can be a greatplace to work on some of those
safety awareness skills.
Also things like dressing,donning and doffing that's OTs,
ADL, bread and butter.
We can look at working ondifferent flotation devices and
working the buckles and claps sowe can get some of those fine

(02:11):
motor skills.
Even though you wouldn't thinkof the aquatic environment is
typically being a fine motor.
At a heavy, heavy in the finemotor department.
We can always look to modify oradapt and add ways in to work on
those skills as well.
We can even do things likehandwriting.
While we're working in the pool.

(02:31):
And in that case, From an OTperspective we're using.
Different sensory strategieswithin the aquatic environment
to help that child regulateenough to be functional to
address some of those othergoals.
The.
Targeted goals aren'tnecessarily swim skills in in
aquatic OT or.

(02:52):
In occupational therapysessions.
But those things are also beingaddressed a little bit.
Well, I shouldn't say a littlebit, they're being addressed a
lot.
We're working on things likecourse core strength and
postural stability, and we'veeven done, some weight bearing
quadrupedal weight bearing on aflow-through mat.

(03:12):
And so there's a broad range oftools that we can use to, to
address some of those typical OTgoals that you would see in like
a different setting.
Documentation is also verydifferent when you're looking at
and aquatic occupational therapysession versus an adaptive swim
lesson.
An adaptive swim lesson than youmight have like a report card

(03:35):
where you're noting the child'sprogress to meeting different
swim milestones.
In an OT session, you're goingto be documenting per your goals
and the child's progress andmeeting those goals.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB (03:49):
The intake paperwork is going to be
similar.
You're going to be looking atprecautions and Contra
indications, such as any thinliquid restrictions or.
Physiological conditions whichmay present an aspiration risk.
You also want to see if there's a
history of incontinence.
I always encourage our swimmersor therapy clients to try to go

(04:13):
to the bathroom prior to cominginto the pool, whether or not
they're potty trained.
So the aquatic environment.
Increases intracellular fluidtransfer, which means that when
you get into the water, it kindof makes you feel like you have
to go to the bathroom.
So.
We always try to avoid before.
We get into the water and startthe session.

(04:33):
Just makes it a little easier oneverybody and You know this way,
they're not stopping in themiddle of the session to run out
and go to the bathroom.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB (04:43):
So I had been working as a
practitioner for about seven oreight months doing one-on-one
aquatic, OT sessions prior tostarting our adaptive swim
program and.
The reason why I started ouradaptive swim program is because
I had a lot of our parents wereasking if we could focus on swim

(05:05):
skills.
Children on the autism spectrumdisorder are astronomically more
likely to drown than theirtypical counterparts.
I believe it's 680 times moremore likely for at risk of
drowning.
And so a lot of our familieswere very understandably

(05:26):
concerned and wanted to makesure that their children could
be safe in the water.
One of the.
One of the big differences thatwe have between our aquatic OT
and our adaptive swim lessons isthe price point.
We are a private payer.
So we do not seek insurancereimbursement.

(05:47):
And that gives us a lot offreedom to address goals that
are important to the family thatmay not otherwise be covered.
Under their insurance programshowever, that can be a financial
draw on a lot of families.
So what I decided to do, becausewe had some families that were
doubling up, they were.
Seeing us as a.

(06:09):
Seeing us in the pool.
And then they were also seeinggene over at the barn.
I decided to offer our currentstanding therapy clients
adaptive swimming lessons.
It was for a shorter period oftime than our OT sessions.
And really just focusing on theswim skills.
Now I use my OT lens and I usewhat I know about the child as a

(06:32):
client to help them besuccessful in the pool.
And try to reach some of thoseswim milestones that we
discussed earlier.
But we're able to do it at alower price point.
There's the documentationrequirements that I have to meet
or not nearly as challenging oras time consuming.
And and it offered a moreaffordable solution.

(06:55):
To really work on.
A very important life skill.
That not only will help keep achild safe, but also enriches
their life.
If I think about what would mylife be like without the ability
to swim in the ocean or go inthe pool or water is a.

(07:15):
It's such a calming environment.
And.
It's so important, whether thatbe like I said, just swimming in
a pool or going to the beach andgo into the ocean.
Or even something like,kayaking.
In, in the river, you know, IThere's so many things that I
love to do that are dependent onmy ability to swim.

(07:36):
So it's really rewarding to feel
like I'm trying to make adifference in and alleviate some
of the stress That our familiesfeel being around water.
And increasing a child'sindependence.
In and around water.
So both aquatic, OT and adaptive
swim.
Work on things like bodyawareness.

(07:59):
Gross motor coordination.
Postural stability and strength,core strength.
But they have very differenttargeted.
Goals.
With aquatic OT, you're lookingat a targeted therapeutic
outcomes.
And with adaptive swim, you'relooking at the swimming
milestones.

(08:19):
And safety in and around waterspecifically.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB H (08:25):
I hope this gave you some insight
into the world of aquatic,occupational therapy and
adaptive swim.
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