Michael wanted to enter the pool under his own power. With a traditional pool, this would have been impossible.
Michael was no longer a kid; at 18, he was too large for therapist Moriah Pate, OTR, and her co-workers at the JCC pool in Indianapolis to lower down onto the deck for a sitting transfer. Michael's increased extensor tone and balance deficits made it unsafe for him to jump into any pool.
Even a ramp entry was out. Because of Michael's severe traumatic brain injury--the result of a terrible car accident two years earlier--he was unable to ambulate. But at 18, he shared his goal: To stand-up and walk into the water.
So one day he did. How?
In a warm water pool with a movable bottom.
“The smile on his face was priceless,” reports Pate.
“The PT and I were able to bring the pool floor to a level even with the floor, therefore avoiding the need to sit or jump into the pool.”
With the assistance of a therapist holding on to each arm, Michael was then able to walk into the JCC's specially crafted movable bottom pool.
The idea for that very special pool came from an unusual place.
Raymond Pearlson was a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer. He invented something called the Syncrolift Ship Lifting System over 40 years ago. Today, over 200 Syncrolifts have been installed at shipyards in 64 countries.
Those lifts were made to hoist massive ships weighing in excess of 25,000 tons. Pearlson took that technology and crafted a product capable of lifting something considerably more fragile--Michael's hopes and aspirations.
In 2001, he applied for a patent for this idea.
The patent for the vertically movable pool floor was granted in 2003. It was named “The Family Lifeguard” because it was intentionally designed to reduce the risk of accidental drowning because of its ability to quickly raise the pool bottom to ground level. In fact, the bottom surface was designed to be sturdy enough for individuals to walk across.
Pearlson envisioned his product in every backyard across America. But, there was a greater calling.
Therapists who work with children in water, like Pate, have a special need for shallow water, and zero-depth entry pools are hard to come by. Beach entry pools are expensive to build, waste valuable space (since most people walk right past the shallows and settle into chest-deep water), and costly to heat. Therefore, most traditional swimming pools start at a depth of 3.5' or 4'--a depth which is essentially useless for working in functional weight-bearing positions with small children.
But all that becomes moot if a pool can instantly change its depth. It all becomes moot with a movable floor.
A Pool for Sensory Integration
A pool which can rapidly change its depth is invaluable for working with children with sensory challenges. For instance, children with autism often fear transition and change. Visually, asking a child with sensory issues to plunge into a typical pool is a recipe for disaster. But, when the pool can fill up slowly--at the child's pace--children become more receptive.
“I frequently receive referrals for children with sensory integration disorders,” states Pate. “These children often have a significant fear of the water which interferes with daily skills such as bathing.” With the movable bottom pool, Pate is able to begin her treatment with the water at only 1/2" or so.
“I have them just barely touch the water with their fingers or toes. Over the course of that session, I can often increase the depth of the water enough to allow the child to adapt.” Pate believes this is key to acceptance. The key to an easy transition.
A Pool for Motor Planning
With a movable floor, therapists or parents can adjust the depth of the pool to each child's personal goals. This subtle adjustment can be very empowering for children whose lives are filled with adaptive equipment.
“I have many children who come to aquatic therapy that use either a walker or crutches on land,” states Pate. “When we change the depth of the pool to be around the depth of their chest, they are able to walk independently--many of them for the first time in their lives.”
In a traditional swimming pool, younger children are unable to experience the freedom of mobility in water where they can touch bottom. A pool with a movable floor allows therapists or parents to work with a child in sitting, lying down, all fours or other functional positions. And it is very easy to rapidly change tasks without leaving the water. For example, see what can easily be accomplished in a 30-minute session in a pool with a movable bottom.
Sample Activities for Zero-Foot Depth
Position the child sitting on the pool floor with 0' depth. Have the child hold onto fishing net to capture items (fish) that the therapist introduces into the pool as the water is slowly raised up to approximately 1'. As the water raises, the fish will start to move. Introduce the concept of “deep sea fishing” and travel to different locations in the pool to catch the fish.
Sample Activities for 1-Foot Depth
Position the child on his stomach or back lying flat in very shallow water. Next to the child, spread out a colored bath blanket onto the bottom of the pool. Cue the child to roll and gather the blanket around him like a burrito. After the child has taken up all the fabric, have him sit up and “splash” his merman tail from right to left. End the session with the child figuring out how to get out of blanket without standing up.
Sample Activities for 2-Foot Depth
Have the child kneel in the water facing the side of the pool. Ask the child to perform push-ups using edge of pool in response to therapist’s cues. Once “watered” with a watering can, the “flower” must push-up to grow tall. The child who has been designated as a dolphin must respond to a whistle blow to push-up to obtain dolphin food (gummy worms).
Sample Activities for 3-Foot Depth
Position the child standing on the therapist's thighs facing the side of the pool. Lay a flotation mat on its side in the gutter (propped up so it displays like a chalkboard). Dump a bucket of foam alphabet letters on the pool side in front of the child (or to the side where you want more attention). Have the child spell out his name, the name of a pet, a favorite teacher, etc. The wet letters should stick to the mat without assistance. After spelling out an entire name, the child can take a paint roller and “erase” each letter to send it back to the bucket.
Sample Activities for 4-Foot Depth and Deeper
Tie a rope to two stable structures in the room so that it is positioned like a tightrope approximately 1' above the water's surface. Position the child near the side of pool, in the water, not touching the bottom, holding onto the rope. Have the child perform rope climbing forwards, backwards, in circles and using feet (hanging inverted like a koala bear).
Conclusion
The pool can be an amazing place for children with disabilities. But for all this magic to take place, the child has to be able to get into the water. A pool with a movable bottom solves many of the barriers presented by the traditional swimming pool. Pediatric therapists--and families of children with special needs--should consider investigating the possibility of bringing water to their little ones...one inch at a time.
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