Pool Therapy During The Summer
It’s summer, and it’s time for some pool time!
Your Neighborhood Pool May Not Be Your Best Option
Many of you have neighborhood pools, or you might even have your own private pool. Going to the neighborhood pool is a great social time, but it can also be pretty stressful. You’re not at your own house and you’re having to keep intense attention on your kiddo in the pool, for just a couple of reasons. Also, your kiddo may grab someone else’s food, or they may get into an area where they’re not supposed to be. If your child has toileting issues, that can be a problem here. You really have to be one on one with them the whole time. I spent a lot of my life at a community pool, and that’s why I have my own pool now, and why we have a pool in our center!
Our Therapy Pool
If the neighborhood pool is not an option for you, you might talk to your therapist about pursuing pool therapy in our pool. Our occupational therapists use the pool for sensory modalities. The pool is a great sensory modulator! Our therapy pool is kept at 94 degrees, which is a very comfortable temperature. We never have to worry about the weather with an indoor pool! We don’t ever have to deal with the intense heat you get outside. We also have soundproofing in the pool room. We have control of the variables, so we can make this a very therapeutic experience.
Physical Therapy In The Pool
We also use our pool for physical therapy sessions. We have a treadmill in the bottom of the pool for PT. We can have a child walk on the treadmill while we record his gait patterns which can be shown on the TV screen that is in the room. We also have a bench that we use for our little guys who can’t quite handle the deep water. We have all kinds of different tools and pool toys that we can use for gross motor activities.
Your Next Step
The pool is always an option for therapy! It’s become an extremely popular option now that people know we have it. Now you know we have it too! Talk to your therapist if you’re interested in seeing how pool therapy can benefit your child.
