Aquatic OT or Adaptive Swim Lessons?

 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. 

Transcript

0:00

Hello, and welcome to animals and aquatic. Some Ryan certified occupational therapy assistant. And your host for today. And today I'd like to talk a little bit about the similarities and differences between aquatic, occupational therapy and adaptive swim lessons.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-6 0:15

So occupational therapy is a healthcare service and you need to be licensed per your state guidelines. In order to be a practitioner. Your goals are going to be determined by your scope of practice, as well as the clinical condition of the child that you're working with. And while swimming may work on some of those common. Issues or difficulties that our clients are dealing with. It's not the same as that. The goals for an adaptive swim program are going to be very different from an occupational therapy session. A lot of times I look at. Aquatic OT as a preparatory phase to help a child get into either an adaptive swim program or mainstreamed into normal swim lessons. And so we, we may work on some of the same underlying factors that are Inhibiting a child from participating in those more mainstream lessons. The goals are not necessarily going to reflect that. So licensure requirements, that's going to be dependent upon the state and passing a national board certification test. Documentation. So, like any other medical service, OT sessions need to be documented. And there's a specific ways that you have to go about that. Interestingly, some of our I guess what we would look at as low hanging fruit and OT would be things like safety. And so the pool can be a great place 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 on different flotation devices and working the buckles and claps so we can get some of those fine motor skills. Even though you wouldn't think of the aquatic environment is typically being a fine motor. At a heavy, heavy in the fine motor department. We can always look to modify or adapt and add ways in to work on those skills as well. We can even do things like handwriting. While we're working in the pool. And in that case, From an OT perspective we're using. Different sensory strategies within the aquatic environment to help that child regulate enough to be functional to address some of those other goals. The. Targeted goals aren't necessarily swim skills in in aquatic OT or. In occupational therapy sessions. But those things are also being addressed a little bit. Well, I shouldn't say a little bit, they're being addressed a lot. We're working on things like course core strength and postural stability, and we've even done, some weight bearing quadrupedal weight bearing on a flow-through mat. And so there's a broad range of tools that we can use to, to address some of those typical OT goals that you would see in like a different setting. Documentation is also very different when you're looking at and aquatic occupational therapy session versus an adaptive swim lesson. An adaptive swim lesson than you might have like a report card where you're noting the child's progress to meeting different swim milestones. In an OT session, you're going to be documenting per your goals and the child's progress and meeting those goals.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-7 3:49

The intake paperwork is going to be similar. You're going to be looking at precautions and Contra indications, such as any thin liquid restrictions or. Physiological conditions which may present an aspiration risk.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-8 4:05

You also want to see if there's a history of incontinence. I always encourage our swimmers or therapy clients to try to go to the bathroom prior to coming into the pool, whether or not they're potty trained. So the aquatic environment. Increases intracellular fluid transfer, which means that when you get into the water, it kind of makes you feel like you have to go to the bathroom. So. We always try to avoid before. We get into the water and start the session. Just makes it a little easier on everybody and You know this way, they're not stopping in the middle of the session to run out and go to the bathroom.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-9 4:43

So I had been working as a practitioner for about seven or eight months doing one-on-one aquatic, OT sessions prior to starting our adaptive swim program and. The reason why I started our adaptive swim program is because I had a lot of our parents were asking if we could focus on swim skills. Children on the autism spectrum disorder are astronomically more likely to drown than their typical counterparts. I believe it's 680 times more more likely for at risk of drowning. And so a lot of our families were very understandably concerned and wanted to make sure that their children could be safe in the water. One of the. One of the big differences that we have between our aquatic OT and our adaptive swim lessons is the price point. We are a private payer. So we do not seek insurance reimbursement. And that gives us a lot of freedom to address goals that are important to the family that may not otherwise be covered. Under their insurance programs however, that can be a financial draw on a lot of families. So what I decided to do, because we had some families that were doubling up, they were. Seeing us as a. Seeing us in the pool. And then they were also seeing gene over at the barn. I decided to offer our current standing therapy clients adaptive swimming lessons. It was for a shorter period of time than our OT sessions. And really just focusing on the swim skills. Now I use my OT lens and I use what I know about the child as a client to help them be successful in the pool. And try to reach some of those swim milestones that we discussed earlier. But we're able to do it at a lower price point. There's the documentation requirements that I have to meet or not nearly as challenging or as time consuming. And and it offered a more affordable solution. To really work on. A very important life skill. That not only will help keep a child safe, but also enriches their life. If I think about what would my life be like without the ability to swim in the ocean or go in the pool or water is a. It's such a calming environment. And. It's so important, whether that be like I said, just swimming in a pool or going to the beach and go into the ocean. Or even something like, kayaking. In, in the river, you know, I There's so many things that I love to do that are dependent on my ability to swim.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-10 7:36

So it's really rewarding to feel like I'm trying to make a difference in and alleviate some of the stress That our families feel being around water. And increasing a child's independence. In and around water.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-11 7:52

So both aquatic, OT and adaptive swim. Work on things like body awareness. Gross motor coordination. Postural stability and strength, core strength. But they have very different targeted. Goals. With aquatic OT, you're looking at a targeted therapeutic outcomes. And with adaptive swim, you're looking at the swimming milestones. And safety in and around water specifically.

Microphone (2- Logitech USB Headset) & Integrated Camera-12 8:25

I hope this gave you some insight into the world of aquatic, occupational therapy and adaptive swim. If you enjoyed this podcast, please like share and subscribe.