Swimming Pool Therapy for Children with Autism
This April, we unite with so many others across the globe in celebration of World Autism Awareness Month. At Crocodile Pools, we pledge blue by spreading awareness about water therapy for children with Autism. We hope to bring our support to this noble cause by helping increase understanding and acceptance. We can all do our part to help ensure that children under the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can live up to their potential!
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism has been described as a developmental disorder because in most instances’ symptoms appear in the first two years of life. However, it can be diagnosed at any age.
Autism spectrum disorders manifest in different ways; from problems with communication and developmental delays to behavioral issues and cognitive disabilities.
Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is a wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms. At Crocodile Pools, we are happy to help you get your pool ready to provide Aquatic Therapy.
Benefits of Water Therapy for Children with Autism
If I were to ask you, what therapies are available to improve the lives of autistic people, would water come to mind? Probably not, yet, researchers and therapist think that water is an excellent therapy for a person with ASD, especially children.
There is a lot of research on the benefits of aquatic therapy,
It’s been proven that this type of treatment can significantly improve a lot of symptoms of autism, including motor functions since water activities help strengthen muscles which in turn helps with balance and mobility, and sensory issues because water has a calming effect.
You may read an example of a clinical trial in the NCBI.
Let’s Get Your Pool Ready for Aqua Therapy!
Some facilities offer aquatic therapy in specialized hydrotherapy tanks. This is a good option for people with certain types of autism; however, being in a strange place, surrounded by strangers, might be too overwhelming for some in the autism spectrum.
In those cases, you can use your family pool and have the therapist come to your house. If this is the option you feel works best for you and your family, then there are some considerations you should know about.
Water Temperature
Warm water seems to work best for individuals in the autism spectrum that also have mobility issues.
In these cases, the ideal temperature of the water should be 94 degrees, because at this temperature water creates a comfortable and relaxed environment for patients with mobility problems to exercise more freely and without pain.
Join our many other happy customers that now enjoy a beautiful safe, clean pool year-round. Best of all, we’ll save you money!
Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
It is always a good idea to follow proper hygiene guidelines before entering the water. For tips on good pool hygiene, check out our related blog article Swimming Hygiene, It’s a Thing.
For some autistic individuals with behavioral issues, small things such as loud noises, lights, disorder, and even a leaf floating in the water can cause emotional overreaction.
To avoid triggering these emotional reactions, it’s important to keep the noise level down, and it’s essential to keep your pool as clean as possible. We can schedule a weekly pool cleaning to make sure there are no leaves, branches or critters swimming in it. We can also keep the chemicals in the water properly balanced with proper levels of disinfectant, to avoid skin and eye irritations. At Crocodile Pools, we are committed to helping improve the lives of our neighbors and friends especially those under the autism spectrum. Give us a call for a free consultation on how we can help you turn your family pool into the best aquatic therapy pool.
Contact Us to schedule a free evaluation and to set up weekly maintenance so your pool is always safe, beautiful and ready for your family and friends to enjoy!
Crocodile Pools provides Southeast Texas with the highest quality pool maintenance services at the best prices.