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About Aquatic Therapy for physical therapy - Susan B Nachimson
Aquatic Therapy for physical therapy has been a standard of practice for many years. Now aquatic therapy is also a standard of practice for massage therapists with Watsu, Jahara, Water Dance, Healing Dance and other strategies available for therapist training and patient treatment. Birthing babies in water has been evident in the United States since information about Dr. Frederick LeBoyer became available in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s (Birth Without Violence, Frederick LeBoyer).
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Founding Story
Susan has been practicing speech-language pathology for more than 40 years. She uses water for the treatment of clients with severe limitations of voicing, respiration and volume control, oral-sensory hypersensitivity, movement with phonation, developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), focusing and attending, and many other clinical issues for infants, children
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PO Box 745, CA, 95542
Get in Contact
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(707) 223-0326
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susan@aquaslp.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Speech therapy is almost always recommended for autistic children since many people with autism have difficulty with social communication. Even if a child is very verbal and says a lot of words, they might need to work on communication skills like:
- responding to questions
- starting or ending conversation
- changing conversation topics
- using gestures like pointing
- understanding other people's body language
Speech therapy is a big focus in early intervention for autistic children and is usually the starting place for recently diagnosed kids. There is a critical period in the brain for language development and so, it's really important to teach language and communication skills as early as possible, especially if there are any delays in that area. Your child will learn effective ways to communicate which will help them grow into more independent and confident individuals.
It might be obvious when a child struggles with speaking —they are very quiet, say only a few words, or don't speak at all.
Spot speech and language delays like a doctor here.
The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Some other common things speech therapists can help with:
- Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
- Forming speech in a clearer way
- Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
- Understanding and responding to questions
- Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
- Noticing and understanding body language
- Feeding and swallowing
- Stuttering
Once you find a quality physical therapist you want to work with, here are a few things you need to know:
- There will be an evaluation. First, you can expect an assessment to identify your child’s areas of strength and needs. A physical therapy evaluation usually lasts 30 minutes.
- You’ll review and approve the care plan. The physical therapist will create a care plan, also known as a plan of care (POC), outlining the goals and strategies. They will review this with you and your care team before moving forward with therapy sessions.
- Physical therapy sessions will be fun. PT with children is designed to be enjoyable. The therapist will use strategies and exercises based on your child’s needs. Exercises might involve playing on large stability balls, obstacle courses, movement equipment, stretches, and other hands-on activities.
- Expect home exercises. Physical therapists commonly assign exercises to work on at home. Doing these exercises with your child outside therapy sessions can improve your child’s overall progress.
Yes! Most providers offer physical therapy in their offices or a clinical setting, but many are offering at-home options. Virtual options have become more popular in recent years. You might facilitate care with the guidance of the physical therapist.
Pediatric physical therapy is considered safe and should not hurt. Autistic children spend their time in PT moving and exploring their environment. If you are concerned about your child experiencing pain during certain exercises, especially if they may struggle to communicate and advocate for modifications, speak with their physical therapist about your concerns.