Autistic children can reap a number of benefits from aquatic therapy, which can contribute to raise their productivity level and improve the quality of their life. This therapy can also be treated as a fun and recreational activity. A number of health benefits can be accrued form this therapy:
1. Takes care of sensory issues:
Autistic children always tend to have sensory issues and they are sensitive to the sensations of light, touch and taste. Such children’s reaction to the stimuli of their environment depends on the quality and texture of the stimuli. That is why it is important for the therapist to check the temperature level of water. Another thing to take care of is the lighting, as these kids are also sensitive to lights and might get disturbed by certain type of lighting. Keeping all these factors in mind, water can facilitate a safe and tolerable environment along with providing hydrostatic pressure that surrounds the kid’s body. After this therapy, children have shown remarkable improvement in their toleration of touch.
2. Provides physical benefits:
Researches have shown that as water brings down the body weight by nearly 90%, so it helps to reduce stress on the body. Children will also find warm water to be relaxing which will reduce the contraction of their muscles. As water helps to relax their muscle, they will find it easier to indulge into various exercises that will allow them to determine their limits and abilities and ameliorate their bodily postures. As the water restricts their movement so it also reduces their hyperactivity, enabling them to concentrate on the tasks better.
3. Training in social skills:
Social skills can be instilled into autistic children when this therapy is conducted in group form. In that case children has to communicate with other group mates, get engaged with them, share toys and equipments with them, leading to the improvement of their social and communication skill. The outcome of this therapy has shown notable improvement in their ability to maintain eye contact along with growing level of confidence.
4. Brings improvement in cognitive level:
Many fun and engaging activities come under the category of this therapy that contributes to improve their bodily movement, promotes neuro-developmental growth and increases their awareness about their own body. It also enables the children to widen their range of attention, concentrate better, aid them with emotional control and enhances their ability to abide by the rules and instructions.
5. Improves their ability to execute a task:
It is a well known fact that because of their communication impairment these children find it is easier if something is explained to them through pictures. Also it is easier to secure their attention by proposing to give them some reward. So when giving them directions, they will find the task easier if it is explained to them through pictorial method. Offering the temptation of reward is another effective way of making them complete their task quickly and effectively which otherwise they do not want to do.