Aquatic Therapy in OT: From Engagement to Evidence
Workshop Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $120.00
Are you confident selecting when the aquatic environment is the right therapeutic choice?
Do you know how to link aquatic therapy to functional goals and funding requirements?
If you want to deliver water-based interventions that are safe and evidence-informed, this session will build your skill, clarity and confidence.
Purchase this workshopWhat will you learn?
Whether you’re brand new to aquatic therapy or looking to formalise what you’re already doing, this workshop will:
- Teach you the therapeutic principles behind aquatic therapy.
- Show you how to assess client suitability (including red flags and contraindications).
- Explore primitive reflex integration and why the water can be such a powerful context.
- Give you practical safety and risk management tools (including a risk matrix template).
- Highlight neuroscience and regulation links (polyvagal theory, sensory systems, interoception).
- Walk you through effective documentation and reporting so your aquatic therapy is clearly distinguished from swimming lessons.
- Explore outcome measures you can actually use in the pool (COPM, WHODAS, GAS, sensory tools).
- Provide strategies for sustainable practice – balancing clinical value with family logistics, funding, and access.
- Bring it all to life through real case studies (ASD, CP, trauma-informed care).
Who is this workshop for?
- Occupational Therapists working with children or young people
- OTs exploring new tools to support regulation, engagement and participation
- Clinicians wanting to formalise or expand their aquatic therapy approach
Why attend?
- Understand the therapeutic rationale behind aquatic therapy
- Learn to deliver sessions that are safe, effective, and fundable
- Build confidence in documentation, outcome measures, and clinical justification
- Walk away with templates, tools, and strategies you can implement immediately
What's included?
- Gain online access to the workshop – live workshops are delivered via Zoom, while self-paced options include access to recorded sessions
- Download workshop slides and any resources provided by the presenter
- Enjoy six months of access to the recording and resources via your Verve OT Learning Library
- Receive a certificate of completion for your CPD records, available via email upon completion of the workshop
Aquatic Therapy Readiness Checklist
This screening tool guides you through client, therapist and environment readiness before commencing aquatic therapy. It helps you systematically address medical, behavioural and safety considerations to protect your client and your practice.
NDIS Documentation & Justification Phrases
This clinical language guide supports you to clearly distinguish therapy from recreation in reports and session notes. It strengthens your ability to justify aquatic therapy using goal focused and funder aligned wording.
Aquatic Therapy Risk & Safety Plan
This structured template assists you to identify risks, document control measures and outline emergency procedures for aquatic settings. It reinforces safe service delivery and supports compliance with professional standards.
Session Plan & Outcome Tracking Sheet
This session template helps you link aquatic activities directly to functional goals and measurable outcomes. It supports consistent documentation, clearer progress tracking and stronger clinical reasoning.
Consent and Client Information Form
This consent form captures medical information, emergency contacts and informed agreement prior to participation. It strengthens transparency, safety and professional accountability in aquatic therapy delivery.
Included with your workshop in your Verve OT Learning Library
Considering more than one workshop?
Add them all to your cart and finalise your purchase in one easy step
About the Presenter
Laura McNab is a dedicated community-based Occupational Therapist with 9 years of experience in community work, including 5 years as an OT. She has worked extensively with organizations such as the YMCA and Child Safety, where she developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by preteens and teens. This experience has fueled her passion for supporting young people, particularly in the NDIS space.
Specialising in complex cases, Laura is skilled in using evidence-based approaches to engage teens and preteens, manage challenging behaviours, and align therapy goals with stakeholder priorities. Her expertise includes leveraging frameworks like attachment theory and developmental milestones, integrating standardised assessments such as the BRIEF and the Sensory Profile, and using tools like Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) to ensure measurable progress.
Through this training, Laura aims to empower fellow occupational therapists with advanced strategies for enhancing their practice, advocating effectively within the NDIS framework, and ultimately supporting young people in achieving meaningful participation and independence.
Sign up todayWhat Are Others Saying?
"This has been amazing. I have wanted to do this for ages and haven't had the confidence for this. I feel this has given me the confidence to take the next steps."
Sarah R, Occupational Therapist
"The workshop overall was very interactive and engaging. One learning I gained was the theory and frameworks used behind hydrotherapy. This makes it easier to justify why OT's can implement this intervention and advocate for their clients in their NDIS plans. OTs would benefit from this course as hydrotherapy has so many positive factors that can benefit our clients"
Amber C, Occupational Therapist
