An innovative Partially Immersed Approach, based on mixed principles of land and aquatic therapy theories was developed to enhance sitting adaptation and functioning in an Aquatics Therapy environment, thus improving quality of life for children with Cerebral Palsy. The approach aimed to enhance motor adaptation, engendering adaptation in psychosocial domains of quality of life. It employed a specially developed therapeutic treatment chair, in an unloading toward loading strategy, to regulate and control percentage of weight-bearing by manipulation of buoyancy (Archimedes principle). Participants were bilateral spastic hypertonia, Cerebral Palsy children, aged 10-15 years. Mixed-method methodology was used to investigate effectiveness of treatment, employing a small sample in a multiple case study. In conclusion, the developed approach enables aquatic therapy to be employed to improve motor function adaptation on land and consequently enhancing adaptation in other psychosocial domains - perceived competence, empowerment and motivation - thus improving quality of life for children with cerebral palsy, sustained at a one-year post-intervention test.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:561305 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Shelef, Arie Niv |
| Publisher | Anglia Ruskin University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/189012/ |
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