9. Let's Talk Therapy! Water Therapy

While Andy historically has enjoyed being in the water, he has not always loved water therapy.  There are not many options for pediatric water therapy in the Chicago area, but we are exceptionally fortunate that there is a therapy center less than ten minutes from our home that offers it.  When we initially learned about it, Andy was a lot more mobile, and we thought it might be a good option for Andy to learn some water awareness while also simultaneously receiving physical therapy.  Since then, Andy has declined and water therapy now provides him with an important time each week to be able to truly relax and move his body in a low impact environment.

Water therapy begins first with a “land-based” assessment, where physical therapists are

able to assess his range of motion, strength, and mobility.  This assessment is an important step in assessing a baseline for Andy’s current abilities and needs and creating a treatment plan for his sessions in the water.  The therapy pool is small, only about 8 by 10 feet, and ranging from 3-4 feet in depth.  It is in a warm room, filled with extra warm water, which can also help relax the muscles a bit as he floats. Our therapist, Miss Lisa, usually begins each session by attaching a flotation collar to Andy to make sure his head does not dip below the surface during his session.  It looks silly, but allows him to relax into his movements and not feel panicked that he is going to “go under” each time he moves.

Throughout the session, Miss Lisa moves Andy throughout the pool, using benches, scaffolds, flotation tools, and toys to keep Andy engaged while slowly and gently stretching his muscles. As the session continues, Andy typically begins to loosen up as Miss Lisa uses both her hands and the pressure of moving through the water to encourage him to relax his body.  By the end of the session Andy is typically walking better and generally less tense. There are days he has even left so relaxed that he falls asleep in the car before we can even leave the parking lot!

While Andy receives physical therapy services through his school team, this additional PT session each week has been an invaluable tool to keep Andy moving and comfortable.  Not only have the therapy sessions been beneficial, but the connections we have made through Miss Lisa have been amazing.  She was the one who referred us to Partners for Progress, where Andy attends horse therapy!  She and the rest of her team have been a great resource in helping us find specialized care for our extremely special kid, and we are so thankful to have them as part of our ever growing team.