Aquatherapy

I had to make a hard decision last month that was between letting Ari try out a new therapy, Aquatic Therapy or Aquatherapy (physical therapy in the water) or keeping her with the same trusted physical therapist that she’s been with since she was two months old.  I thought about it long and hard, and eventually Ari’s love for the water and potential to gain from this new therapy won out over my difficulty with change and my loyalties to her previous PT.  I am glad that I made the choice that I did, even if I do spend 1.5 hours in the car once a week and who knows how much gas money to make this work.  Ari loves it so far, which is no surprise since she is my little mermaid girl, and water can make anything more fun… even physical therapy. 

Miss Melissa, our PT, has been doing lots of stretching, positioning, and weight-bearing exercises with Ari as well as beginning to work on cruising in the water.  I love her fresh approach to therapy and am feeling very encouraged by her optimistic outlook on Ari’s potential for walking.  Like I do, Melissa thinks that Ari should be working towards the goal of using a walker for the socialization, peer opportunities, and physical health benefits of weight-bearing and standing; even if it means bypassing a mastery of crawling and/or kneeling first.  Up and at ‘em!