Aquatic Therapy Program
Aquatic Therapy is a specialized branch of physical therapy where individuals participate in rehabilitative activities while in the water. Water provides buoyancy, resistance in all planes, and a soothing environment. As a result, improvements are often noted in circulation, strength and endurance, balance and coordination, range of motion, and muscle tone.
Movement Discoveries has applied these basic principles to therapy services for children. Classes have approximately 6 children and meet for 45 minutes once a week. The children are separated into age groups:
Parent/Toddler Group: Our “littlest fish” (children birth through 3 years 9 months of age) are accompanied by a parent or guardian in the water.
School Age Group: 1:1 child to staff ratio.
Individual aquatic physical therapy: For children who need more direct attention. A licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant will work directly with the child. The established goals may be water based (blowing bubbles for improved breath control) or land based (increased standing balance duration). An aquatic physical therapy session may supplement or replace a land based session.
Children with a variety of diagnoses benefit from either group or individual sessions. Diagnoses frequently treated include cerebral palsy, developmental delay, autism, genetic disorders, Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and orthopedic impairments.
Group and individual aquatic therapy sessions are held in a 92-degree swimming pool in San Mateo, 5-minutes away from our center.
Group Programs are self-pay. For individual aquatic therapy patients session is billed at the regular hourly physical therapy rate.