Paul Murphy's Page
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- How are you involved in aquatic therapy?
- My son (5y.o.) is Autistic, water therapy has been indepensible with his sensory intergration and gross motor skill activities, looking for more ways to improve the quality of his life and ability potential.
- Your discipline or title (PT, OT, CTRS, ATC, SLP, Watsu practitioner, adapted aquatics instructor, whatever!)
- Have many disciplines but not with aquatics.... I can't even swim.
- Location (city, state, country)
- Golden, Colorado
- What temperature, depth(s) and approx dimensions is your therapy pool (if you have one):
- We use the recreational centre at Golden and the Therapy pool at Easter Seals
- Do you have any teaching experience?
- I have no skills in this are of aquatic, but have fantasic skills with young children with ASD
- Main patient populations:
- children
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I have known of persons who sponsored and taught caregivers and those being given care to share Watsu(R)
It provides a sense of sharing and giving back for the caregiver to receive....
Other thought: to provide another opportunity nearby for the car…
This group is for discussions about the practice and promotion of aquatic bodywork in spas, other leisure settings, and private venues. A place to share some of the issues faced and support each other.
Couples Watsu would be an activity that the Spa could promote as well as Mother daughter days .
For pediatric aquatic therapists/instructors who work with children on the autism spectrum. We will be sharing our coolest treatment ideas and creating a mock protocol for the infant, toddler, and school aged child demonstrating autism traits.
- WABA Assistant Training Course OCT 7-9, 2010 on October 6, 2010 to October 8, 2010
- AQUATHERICS® underwater OCT 9-13, 2010 on December 17, 2009 from 6pm to 7pm
- AQUATERNATIVES® OCT 1-6, 2010 on October 1, 2010 to October 5, 2010
© 2009 Created by Andrea Salzman
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You may want to take a look at the Aquatic Massage workshop in Tucson AZ in Jan. You do not to know how to swim. One of my specialties is working with people with water fears. I don't know if that describes you or not but may serve you as you explore the water work. You also do not need to be a massage therapist to take this class. This is a 14 hour weekend workshop. 10 of the hours may be applied to the full certification program if you wanted to go that route. If you don't you will still get a lot out of the workshop, things you can take home and use for your son.
Check out www.aquaticmassage.com & www.adriatictherapies.com
If you like.
PS - I have studied with Mario Jahara
Regards,
Adrianne
Welcome to the network. I wanted to point you to a video that you might like to watch. It is of a technique called Jahara and the woman performing the technique is from Israel. She is working with a boy with ADHD and it is an amazing video. You can learn more about jahara at www.jahara.com.
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VMulvj5TGI
Andrea Salzman, Founder, Aquaticnet Social Network
I actually work a great deal with children on the spectrum. I also work as an instructor for ARN as a pediatric aquatic therapy instructor for both regional and custom seminars. I recently helped Andrea Salzman (founder of ARN) gather different information via handouts and videos about sensory integration in the pool. She is compiling it onto a DVD and it will be for sale. You should contact Andrea about aquiring this DVD. It has numerous SI based pool activities that are very practical and use easy/affordable equipment. If there is anything in particular you would like help with or need suggestions on feel free to ask.
Nice meeting you too! I would say that being 'just a father' is much more than you might think, you probably have more insights than the rest of us who aren't parents of ASD kids! (Actually, my son, now 17, has many autistic/asperger's qualities, although as he was never diagnosed autistic, it took me until very late to start figuring anything out). I wonder if you have heard of the Handle Institute, www.handle.org. I took some classes and did some work there, so use some of their ideas, especially some of the face tapping and massage. But, I don't really know any specifically aquatic things for sensory integration, as that's more of an OT/PT speciatly, which I am not. So any of those things you might want to share would be great. Thanks again,
Laura
From Paul:
I have found the sensory intergration, sensory conductivity and sensory calming effect that water therapy has for my son that I have not found with other conventional therapies. I watch him for days afterwards and I see the effect this has in the area of fine motor skills especially.
I am not a professional, just a father trying to do and expand forward what I have seen to work, I look forward to any counsel that I may receive and hope that I could give some useful feedback to anything I see that works.
I am a watsu/healing dance practitioner and I am working with a 4 year old autistic girl right now. I often feel that I wish I had more skills to incorporate into her session. I know the water benefits her tremendously, and sometimes I use things that I learned through the Handle Institute here in Seattle, but want to know more! If you have any good ideas that you want to pass on that you use or have seen therapists use with your son, let me know.
Thanks!
Laura