How Swim Therapy Changed Our Lives

 Olivia has Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD which has affected a lot of her development. (For more information on what SPD is, click here.)

 Last summer, we were in a very precarious situation. You see, the state offers a lot of occupational and physical therapy to children under the age of 3 but in order to qualify for that therapy, you have to be at a certain development delay. At 2 1/2, she had many delays, but not enough for her to be getting consistent therapy. While our Physical therapist continued with her, all other options began to close for us. Because of the nature of SPD, it isn't something that's readily recognized like autism or cerebral palsy and isn't given a lot of ground when it comes to helping children. Frustrated with the system and desperate for my little girl to still get the help she needed, I turned to the internet.

I started to read blogs and see articles about the tremendous strides that swim therapy, or water therapy, was having on children with sensory issues. Because of the weight of the water on the body, it affected how children would understand their body in space and allow them to build muscles and skills they wouldn't otherwise be able to do outside of water.

I was encouraged by the amount of people talking about the results of this therapy and began to search for water therapists in our area. After a few calls, odd looks and head scratches, I realized that this was unchartered territory and that if I was going to do swim therapy with her, that I would have to learn how to do it on my own.

So I went rogue. I researched different excercises to do with her, I consulted her therapists, and I tried it out once to see how affective it really was. I was AMAZED at how one session in the pool changed her attitude, stamina and skills. I knew we had hit an SPD goldmine. With a donation from an incredible friend, we were able to gain access to an indoor therapy pool all year round.

When we started: Olivia was very clingy to me, could barely walk, couldn't jump, climb stairs or use her tummy muscles very well. She was wobbly, uncoordinated and afraid to try new things.

But slowly, over time I began to see her develop skills inside of the water, where it felt safe and familiar. In the pool she started jumping , and diving underneath. Pretty soon you could see my two-year-old daughter holding her breath and submersing under the water and swimming. She was a fish. The people around the pool were as astonished as I was. She was in control, and in her element. The feeling of going underwater not only allowed Olivia to understand where her body was in space, but the pressure of that contact allowed her nerves to get relief, sending endorphins to her little brain.

I started to see muscle development and confidence in her. Pretty soon we started working on behavior modifications in the water. When she was having a particularly bad week with over stimulation or her nerve endings were tingling, I would take her to the pool and work on those behaviors that were a challenge. It's like she was a different person. She was alert, and willing to try new things; she was happy.

In the year since we began swim therapy, Olivia can now climb stairs, walk properly, twirl, and run- all things we take for granted but were unattainable to her before. We still have things that are problem areas, but seeing the transformation not only in skills but in attitude has been incredible.

When I started this whole search to help Olivia build the skills she needed, I had no idea the endeavor I would be taking on. But it just proves that sometimes...you have to go rogue to get things done. I'm so glad she found something that's all hers. To see Olivia swim is to truly see inspiration.