Aquatic Therapy for ASD

The Ohio State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Aquatic Occupational Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05092321

2019J0204

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is an aquatic occupational therapy group for children between the ages of 3-12 that have an autism diagnosis. Intervention will focus on increasing the child's safety swim skills.

Full description

Information will be collected from participants' guardians during an intake visit regarding a child's sensory processing deficits, movement abilities and exposure to swim skill instruction prior to the group. The group will provide swim instruction using the Halliwick approach to learning swim skills as well as other occupational therapy techniques such as shaping, therapeutic relationship and behavior management. Groups will have a minimum ratio of 1 staff to every 2 children, with the possibility of 1:1 ratio most days. There will be a certified lifeguard present at all times. Qualitative interviews and a follow up survey will be conducted with parents (ages 18+) to determine impact on families and individual participants. Swim skills will be tracked at each session via goal attainment scaling and daily documentation. Descriptive and correlational statistics will be completed as well as coding of interview and survey data. Participants can participate for one, 10 week session, or will have the option to participate in additional 10 week sessions until child participants top out on the WOTA or plateau in progress of swim skills.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• pre-existing diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder from a medical professional
• family interest in swimming

Exclusion criteria

• ventilation system for breathing such as trachea not capped

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 1 patient group

Aquatic Occupational Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Group-based aquatic occupational therapy with 1:1 swim buddy for safety.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Aquatic Occupational Therapy