Physical therapy is by far the most difficult of Brennan's therapies. He has always had really, really low muscle tone which makes meeting gross motor milestones that much more difficult. For a long time, he has been resistant to bearing weight on his feet which makes working on standing nearly impossible. So we struggled with figuring out how to get him weight bearing in order to move him closer to his next gross motor milestone of walking. I had heard from a couple of friends that swim therapy had proven very beneficial for their kids. Unfortunately, our local intervention center does not offer swim therapy and I worried that doing it on our own would be very costly. Luckily, our insurance company automatically authorized 15 visit (without even a phone call from me - yahoo!). The therapist said it often takes kids a couple of sessions to get used to the therapist and the water, but Brennan loved it immediately.
The benefit to Brennan of swim therapy was that the buoyancy in the water enabled him to practice standing without actually having to hold all of his weight. This, in turn, increased his confidence in his ability to bear weight on his feet and legs and after only a few swim therapy sessions, he was bearing weight on his feet and legs on land, too.
Unfortunately, the swim therapist is currently taking medical leave, but I think the sessions he had were extremely beneficial and look forward to resuming his swim therapy soon. In the meantime, we've been spending lots of time at the pool "practicing" on our own!
The benefit to Brennan of swim therapy was that the buoyancy in the water enabled him to practice standing without actually having to hold all of his weight. This, in turn, increased his confidence in his ability to bear weight on his feet and legs and after only a few swim therapy sessions, he was bearing weight on his feet and legs on land, too. 
Unfortunately, the swim therapist is currently taking medical leave, but I think the sessions he had were extremely beneficial and look forward to resuming his swim therapy soon. In the meantime, we've been spending lots of time at the pool "practicing" on our own!
6 comments:
What a beautiful boy you have there! Reminds me of my son Matthew who is now eighteen. The therapies are exhausting but worthwhile. Hang in there. Trey, editor, downsyndrometoday.com
This is such wonderful new, Sharon! Landon has water therapy also (I did a couple of posts on it), and he absolutely loves it. The "carryover" from water to land has been amazing. I absolutely agree that this form therapy is still very hard work, but with less strain on their tiny little bodies. So happy that you found a way to receive these services!! Good luck:)
so happy that your insurance covered 15 sessions of water therapy - yeah! i am also so happy for you that the carryover from the pool to land has been great and given brennan the confidence to bear weight on his legs!
i am not sure if you saw the post i recently did about our friend's water table - but we ended up going to toys r us and buying the "anchors away pirate boat" water table. we set it up this past saturday and sunday the girls played outside with the new water table. whitney also does not like to bear weight for very long on her legs and i am not exaggerating when i tell you she stood playing at that table for an hour and a half!!! maybe brennan would do the same? whitney and anne have so much fun playing with it and splashing around with the toys and the water in the water table :) hope you can enjoy as much pool time as possible during the rest of this summer!!!
Great news about the weight-bearing and that he loves the water therapy AND that you were able to get it fairly easily. How was the convention? Gleen any great tidbits of info?
Oh my gosh, is he not the cutest kid ever?? So glad he took to swim therapy so quickly. Makes me wonder why no one ever suggested this to me as Megs is 28 months and still not walking (but we're so close!)...
Great job, Brennan!! Keep up the good work! :)
Oh... this is great!
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