Why Aquatic Therapy & Swim Lessons are Important for Cerebral Palsy

Discover how important life skills can be nurtured, as we explore the multiple benefits of choosing aquatic therapy or swim lessons for individuals with Cerebral Palsy.

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as Cerebral Palsy can have an impact on movement, balance, and posture. This can make it challenging to participate in traditional therapy and activities. However, aquatic therapy and swim lessons offer a unique and effective way to address the difficulties that people with autism experience.

Cerebral Palsy & Water Safety

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of neurological disorders caused by an injury to the brain in utero, at birth, or before 2 years of age. There are many different presentations of Cerebral Palsy that result in a wide range of both neurological and physical symptoms.

Statistics Relating to Water Safety for Children With Cerebral Palsy

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 345 children in the United States have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Children with Cerebral Palsy may be intrigued by the idea of being in water because the effects of gravity are lessened, resulting in increased opportunities for movements that aren’t always possible on land. For these children to experience the full magnitude of benefits offered by an aquatic environment, they must first learn the importance of water safety. Children with CP often struggle with controlled joint movements and efficient respiration, both of which are crucial components of water safety. However, with the right guidance, they too can experience the magic of the water in a safe and therapeutic way!

How Adaptive Swim Lessons and Aquatic Therapy Contribute to Water Safety

Part of our mission at Swim Angelfish is to help improve water safety for children of all abilities and create a supportive, understanding environment where water safety skills can flourish. Aquatic therapy can help satiate a child’s sensory needs as well as improve their strength, coordination, and motor planning so that they are able to function safely in an aquatic environment. Swim lessons additionally help children develop a crucial sense of awareness for water safety and independent movement, while fostering a positive and functional relationship between the child and the water.

Adaptive Swim Lessons for Cerebral Palsy

Swimming provides a multitude of benefits for children with Cerebral Palsy. For these children, there aren’t many opportunities for both cardiovascular fitness and strength training that are challenging, fun, and potentially independent.

Learning to swim provides a lifelong opportunity for fitness in an environment that supports their bodies! Swimming also provides an opportunity for pain relief and relaxation. Many children with CP struggle with pain on a daily basis as a result of spasticity and posturing. Swimming provides an opportunity for active movement which not only lubricates joints, but it releases endorphins to help these children feel good! Swimming additionally provides immense social benefits. Many children with CP are unable to interact with peers on land from an eye level position. Being in the water levels the playing field and allows kids to just be kids, together!

Benefits of Swim Lessons for Cerebral Palsy

  • Lifelong fitness skill.
  • Pain relief.
  • Increased opportunities for socialization.

Aquatic Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

There are so many incredible benefits of aquatic therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy. Being in the water allows children with Cerebral Palsy to move through greater ranges of motion because they are not encumbered by the weight of gravity, and they can use the natural properties of water to assist and resist movement. This results in improved strength gains, increased active and passive range of motion, improved respiration, and improved neuromuscular control. Being in the water also helps improve cardiovascular conditioning because the hydrostatic pressure causes the heart to pump more blood per beat. This helps effectively oxygenate the body’s musculoskeletal system! The water also offers an opportunity for buoyancy assisted gait training. Many children with CP who struggle with land-based ambulation are able to experience the benefits of upright movement when walking in water. Not only is this an incredible way to work on balance, postural control, and a variety of other physical benefits, but walking in the water can provide immense emotional benefits for children who use mobility aids on land.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

  • Improved strength, active and passive range of motion, respiration, and neuromuscular control.
  • Improved cardiovascular conditioning.
  • Opportunity for buoyancy-assisted gait training.

Tips for Children With Cerebral Palsy That Will Make a BIG Difference

Our Swim Whisperers® Adaptive Aquatics Training Program is the only Adaptive Aquatics Training program that uses a therapeutic approach to assess, identify, and overcome the roadblocks that are present in children with special needs while learning to swim.

Here are some great tips when working with individuals who have Cerebral Palsy:

  • Be flexible with your approach
    Every child with Cerebral Palsy presents slightly differently and there is no universal approach for teaching children with CP how to swim. Use your toolbox of Swim Whisperers strategies to adapt your equipment, technique, and teaching style to the child in front of you.

  • Assisting with submerging may look different initially
    Some children with Cerebral Palsy may initially struggle with independently sealing their airway due to decreased muscular control. While they are still learning how to do this on their own, it may be necessary to seal their airway for them during submerging to prevent inhalation of water.

  • Many children with Cerebral Palsy present with retained primitive reflexes
    Many retained primitive reflexes are controlled by changes in head position. When trying to teach a child with CP how to move in a straight path, it may be helpful to encourage them to keep their head in a neutral alignment, to prevent some of these reflexes from kicking in.

For many people living with Cerebral Palsy, swimming is a source of happiness and independence. Read about Emily who achieved her dream of jumping off the diving board and see what could be possible for your swimmer.

Cerebral Palsy Swim Lessons and Aquatic Therapy Near Me

We can help you find a qualified instructor or aquatic therapist to help your child with Cerebral Palsy become safer and more independent in the water.

We have highly skilled instructors certified in the Swim Whisperers® program who will work with your child to identify and address any underlying obstacles that they are experiencing with learning to swim.

We also have licensed aquatic physical, occupational and recreational therapists who will use a fun, innovative multi-sensory approach to reach specific therapy goals. We offer private, semi-private and small group sessions across multiple locations in CT, MA, NH and NY.

Interested in Learning How to Teach Swimmers with Cerebral Palsy?

You can advance your swim instructor skills today! When you get certified through the Swim Whisperers® Adaptive Aquatics Training Program, you will have access to proven and time-tested course material, strategies and techniques that will help to make life-changing differences in your swim lessons.

Featured Cerebral Palsy and Swimming Blogs

Ailene Tisser, MA, PT, Founder

Ailene is a pediatric Physical Therapist with more than 25 years of experience treating a variety of diagnoses, both in and out of the water. She is NDT (Neuro-Developmental Treatment) trained in pediatrics and is trained in DIR/Floortime. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. Ailene brings all of her Physical Therapy expertise into the water, where she helps children of all abilities feel safe, confident, and independent. She combines her passion and skill for working with children with special needs with the therapeutic properties of the water to achieve amazing results. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience by educating other Aquatic Professionals so that they can also make a significant impact on the lives of swimmers with special needs.

Cindy Freedman, MOTR, Founder

Cindy is a recreational therapist and an Occupational therapist. After working for ten years as a recreational therapist in a variety of settings, she pursued a Master’s degree in OT. Her career as an OT includes specialty training in sensory integration, reflex repatterning, and aquatics. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. As a swimmer and national champion diver, Her love of the water combined with her education and work experience created them an opportunity for Swim Angelfish to become a reality! “Our mission is to create an aquatic community of trained instructors so that together we can decrease the alarming statistic of drowning being the leading cause of death for children with special needs.”