Best Aquatic Therapy Equipment for Children with Special Needs

Aquatic therapy offers a unique and incredibly beneficial environment for children with disabilities and special needs, including those with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy. The natural properties of water – buoyancy, resistance, hydrostatic pressure and warmth – create a therapeutic space where learning, movement, and growth can flourish.

A key component of successful aquatic therapy for this population is the specialized equipment designed to address their unique developmental and sensory needs.

What is Aquatic Therapy Equipment?

Aquatic therapy equipment refers to tools and devices specifically designed for use in water to assist, resist, or enhance movements during therapeutic exercises. For children with special needs, this equipment is carefully selected to provide sensory regulation, build core strength, improve balance, body alignment, and facilitate motor skill development in a fun and engaging way.

Why Use Equipment in Aquatic Therapy?

The application of aquatic therapy equipment for children is diverse, supporting a wide range of goals. Here’s a look into how these tools are utilized to provide tailored solutions:

  • Managing Sensory Issues (Sensory Input & Regulation)

    • Deep Pressure/Heavy Work: Buoyant dumbbells and barbells, different sized noodles, or even the water’s natural resistance around your body can provide calming deep pressure input, which is often soothing for children with Autism or sensory processing challenges. Submerging with assistance can also offer deep pressure and input.
    • Tactile Stimulation: Floating toys with different textures, or the varying pressure of water as a child moves through it, can provide valuable tactile experiences that help with sensory discrimination and desensitization.
    • Visual Tracking: Brightly colored floating objects or rings to retrieve can encourage visual focus and tracking.

  • Heavy Work for Trunk and Core Stability

    • Resistance Tools: Pushing on Dumbbells, Barbells, swimming with hand paddles, and fins increase the water’s natural resistance, making even simple movements like kicking or propelling your arms “heavy work.” This engages core muscles directly, building strength and stability without the gravitational pull that can be challenging on land.
    • Buoyancy for Challenge: Using a noodle or float to create an unstable base (e.g., sitting on a noodle) forces the trunk and core to activate constantly to maintain balance, providing continuous balance challenges and muscle activation in a safe, supported way.
    • Water Walking or Running: Pushing against the water while moving across the pool bottom provides excellent heavy work for the entire body, especially the core and lower extremities.

  • Equipment to Help Balance

    • Buoyancy Aids for Support: Noodles and various floats, can provide just enough support to allow a child to feel secure while practicing standing, kneeling, or walking. This reduces the fear of falling and allows them extra time to focus on motor planning a balance reaction.
    • Unstable Surfaces: Standing on a floatation mat or a larger buoyant platform in the water introduces a controlled level of instability, challenging core muscles and proprioception to improve static and dynamic balance. You can also alter the amount of buoyancy assistance if using a stable platform in the water.
    • Resistive Walking Aids: Underwater treadmills (if available) or even simply walking through water with varying depths provides natural resistance that helps to slow down movements, allowing for better focus on gait patterns and balance control.

The unique properties of water, combined with specialized equipment, allow therapists to create playful yet powerful interventions that address complex developmental needs. From sensory input that is regulating to robust core strengthening, aquatic therapy offers a holistic approach.

Our Favorite Pieces of Aquatic Therapy Equipment

While there’s a wide choice of fantastic equipment available, some pieces truly stand out for their versatility and effectiveness in supporting children with special needs in the aquatic environment. These are our favorite ‘go-to tools’ that can be adapted for multiple therapeutic goals:

  • Aquatic Dumbbells
    These buoyant tools are not just for strength! They are excellent for promoting midline activities if using one small one in both hands (movements that cross the center of the body) which are crucial for bilateral coordination and brain integration. Holding a dumbbell with both hands and moving it from side to side, or using two dumbbells to press and pull simultaneously, provides fantastic resistance and awareness. We also use two dumbbells for a wider base of support to aid balance when needed.

  • Aquatic Barbells
    The aquatic barbell is an incredibly versatile piece of equipment. It can be used for supporting balance since it’s larger than dumbbells and easier to hold on to with two hands. It’s also fantastic for heavy work, providing significant resistance when pushed, pulled, or moved side to side through the water, effectively engaging the core and upper body for strength and stability.
  • WOW Pool Noodle
    Not all noodles are created equal! The WOW Pool Noodle stands out for its better consistency, meaning it is larger, has more surface area to offer support and is more buoyant than a standard noodle. This makes it incredibly versatile for a wide variety of activities, from respiration-enhancing exercises to providing balance work and support in prone, side lying, supine or sitting.

Ready to Master Aquatic Therapy Equipment for Your Practice?

Understanding the “what” and “how” of aquatic therapy equipment, especially for children with special needs, is crucial for effective treatment. To truly unlock the power of the aquatic environment and provide the most impactful sessions, a deeper dive into specific equipment, their applications, and advanced handling techniques is essential.

At Swim Angelfish, we believe in empowering therapists with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills. That’s why our Totally Treatment online course includes an invaluable resource: “Mastering Aquatic Therapy Equipment Guide.”

This guide provides in-depth insights into our time-tested favorite pieces of equipment, along with specific strategies for integrating these tools seamlessly into your aquatic therapy sessions for children with diverse needs.

Join our Totally Treatment online course today and gain the expertise to confidently select, utilize, and maximize the benefits of aquatic therapy equipment for all your pediatric clients.

Ailene Tisser, MA, PT, Founder

Ailene Tisser, a pediatric Physical Therapist with over 30 years of experience and co-founder of Swim Angelfish® and the Swim Whisperers® method, specializes in aquatic therapy and adaptive swim for children with special needs. Trained in NDT, DIR/Floortime, and certified as an Autism Specialist and Primitive Reflex Specialist she fosters water safety, confidence, and independence in her young clients. Ailene is also passionate about educating aquatic professionals, setting a standard of excellence for adaptive aquatics training and professional development.

Cindy Freedman, MOTR, Founder

Cindy, MS, OTR/L is an occupational and recreational therapist with over 30 years of experience specializing in pediatrics and aquatics. Driven by a passion for helping children with special needs reach their full potential, Cindy co-founded Swim Angelfish, an organization dedicated to providing adaptive swim and aquatic therapy services as well as professional training. Her expertise in sensory integration, reflex repatterning, and aquatics, coupled with her love for water and experience as a national champion diver, has enabled her to make a profound impact on the lives of countless children. Cindy is certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES, and shows an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children with special needs.