Adeo Physical Therapy to launch AQUA STRONG program for children with disabilities

Water is one of the world's most precious resources. Not only does life begin in water, the liquid is vital to the functioning of our bodies.

While water is important for our body's chemical functions, it can also have a great calming effect on the brain.

If you’ve ever soaked in a warm tub after a long stressful day, letting the water gently cradle your body, then you know exactly how calming water can be.

It's this amazing effect that water can have on our bodies and brain that inspired Leanne Johnston, clinic director at Adeo Physical Therapy in Greeley to create a new aquatic therapy program for the community called AQUA STRONG.

The program is designed for children ages 3-12 who have developmental delays such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

"I was trying to think of a way to expand our reach in services and I was thinking about children," explain Johnston. "So I started doing all this research on autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, and there's a lot of research out that shows aquatic therapy is so great for those kids."

Some of the benefits of aquatic therapy that the online magazine VeryWell Health touts include:

"The viscosity of water provides an excellent source of resistance that can be easily incorporated into an aquatic therapy exercise program," the website reported. "This resistance allows for muscle strengthening without the need for weights."

In addition to her research, Johnston attended a weeklong training program in Arizona to learn about the different types of exercises associated with the Halliwick Concept of Swimming and Rehabilitation in Water.

"It was really awesome. It was five days and we spent over 20 hours in the water," Johnston said. "The gentleman who was teaching it was second in command to the man who developed the Halliwick Concept."

The Halliwick Concept was developed by Danish couple James McMillan, a swimming instructor and engineer of hydromechanics, and his wife, Phyl McMillan, in the late 1940s.

The program is a specialized approach used to teach all people — especially people with physical and learning disabilities — how to participate in water activities to allow them to move independently in water and swim, the International Halliwick Association states on its website.

The Halliwick Concept also instructs therapists how to instill confidence in their patients that they will not sink or drown by teaching them to float on their backs and how to recover from floating.

"The biggest point of this type of program is to get the kids comfortable in the water first," Johnston said. "Because you might have some kids who have never been in the water or are kind of fearful. So there are some really cool activities you can do, like blow bubbles or make sounds in the water, to get them comfortable first."

Once comfortable, Johnston can add a variety of things to therapy sessions such as underwater obstacles, pool toys and group activities.

The benefits of the Halliwick Concept apply to not only physical wellness, but to personal, recreational, social and therapeutic aspects of a person's wellbeing, too.

Children with autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy are typically delayed in their motor skills which involve the whole body, called "gross motor skills," and normally have lower fitness levels than children without these types of disabilities.

Aquatic therapy, like the one Johnston will be offering, can help address these delays in gross motor skills and help children with disabilities get the exercise they need to stay healthy.

"With the buoyancy, they are a lot more free to move in the water than they are on land," Johnston said. "With children, you are trying to make it as fun as possible while you are doing the strengthening and cardiovascular, and there are so many things we can do in the pool to make it more like play, so they don't realize they are getting a workout."

In addition to working on their motor skills, the program will help the kids increase their strength, endurance and balance — all while having fun in the pool.

"What I am hoping to provide with AQUA STRONG is a way to get those kids a little more physically active, so we are addressing some of those issues with lower fitness levels because that can lead to cardiovascular issues and all kinds of health concerns," Johnston said. "The whole point being that hopefully, we can get these kids as independent as they could be and so that they can assist with some of their caregiving too, depending on their involvement."

The physical therapy clinic is aiming to launch the program in mid-February or early March at its indoor pool, at 2780 28th Ave., Suite A in Greeley.

The heated indoor aquatic facility has separate locker rooms for men and women to change and store their clothing.

The pool maintains a 93-degree temperature, so when the snow is piled up outside and the temperatures have dropped, swimmers inside the facility are toasty and warm.

"When I first started, I didn't get into the pool very much here," Johnston said. "But when I go in, it's so calming. The effect of the water, the pressure increases circulation. The water is pretty amazing."

The cost for children to participate in the program is $1,440 for 12 weeks and insurance will be billed. One-on-one sessions will be around 45-minutes each two times a week.

While Johnston anticipates that Medicaid will pay for the sessions, the clinic will offer three scholarships for children who do not have insurance.

Businesses and organizations can also sponsor a child for the program by contacting Johnston at the clinic. As a nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible.

Parents interested in getting more information about AQUA STRONG, or enrolling their child into the program, can contact Johnston at (970) 339-0011.

For more information on services and programs offered at Adeo Physical Therapy, go to www.adeocopt.org.

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