Her areas of expertise include

• Sensory processing and a “SIPT” certification
• Training in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT)
• Cuevas Medek Exercise (CME)
• Handwriting without Tears
• Integrated Learning Systems (ILS).
• Advanced practice in swallowing assessment, evaluation, or intervention
• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
• Cranial Nerve Integration

Dr. Marielly is joining us on the blog for the next few weeks to talk more about warning signs for parents and the whole body benefits of pediatric occupational therapy. Join us as we learn more about how we can continue to improve the mind-body connection of our children through pediatric occupational therapy.

Today we are discussing sensory integration and the behavioral benefit of this therapeutic intervention.

Sensory Integration: Behavioral Benefits

Does it seem like your child is constantly throwing tantrums? Do they unravel at the end of the day? Sensory dysregulation, whether from too much or too little input, can have direct and severe impacts on your child’s mood. It can also impact your child’s behavior, appearing in the form of meltdowns and poor impulse control. Think about how hard it is to concentrate when you’re itchy or how frustrating it can be when your foot falls asleep and you can’t walk across the room. Your child could be experiencing similar feelings 24/7.

Occupational therapy is designed to help regulate your child. Sometimes, in order to make progress, we focus on treating unlikely areas. Your first impulse might have been to visit a psychiatrist or psychologist. While they may be able to help treat the behavioral symptoms your child is showing, they can’t treat the root cause of your child’s emotional outbursts. They may gain skills used to deal with their increased stress, but they’ll still find themselves coping with daily discomfort. One of the great things about sensory integration is that you’ll see behavioral changes simply by working with a therapist to get your child more in tune with their sensory profile. Once they feel more comfortable in their own skin, you’ll be amazed at how quickly that frustration melts away and their emotions begin to stabilize!

Theraplay LA

If you’re looking for Los Angeles-based occupational therapy for sensory integration, then you’re in luck. Dr. Marielly and her team started Theraplay LA as a pediatric OT practice dedicated to providing intentional and precise levels of care to those in Los Angeles and beyond. Theraplay LA  offers in-home, in-clinic, and telehealth sensory integration sessions. They know that watching your child struggle can be heartbreaking, which is why they apply strategies specifically tailored to provide quick and lasting results. They will support your child, emotionally and otherwise, through every stage of sensory integration!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Sensory Integration: Behavorial Benefits appeared first on One with the Water.

Happy New Year from One with the Water! Part of our goal here is to help our clients maximize the resources available to them to be physically, mentally, and emotionally the healthiest person they can be. To that end, we wanted to highlight some new information on the Self-Determination Program for our clients with disabilities.

CA Self Determination Program

First, if you aren’t familiar, the Self Determination Program is a voluntary regional center program that provides participants with an individual budget, which they can use to purchase the services and supports they need to implement their person-centered plan (PCP) and Individual Program Plan (IPP). The program was established in 2013 by order of the CA governor but was only available on a limited basis. (Just 2500 individuals.)

The good news? As of July 1, 2021, the Self Determination Program (SDP) began to be available on a voluntary basis to any eligible regional center individual. The state of CA has set up a website with all the information you need to learn about the program and all available resources connected to the SDP.

https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/sdp/

If you are interested in applying, reach out to your local regional center for more details on how to apply. There are seven Regional Centers in LA County (listed below for your convenience).

Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center, Inc. (ELARC)

http://www.elarc.org/

Main Office: 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra CA 91802

(626) 299-4700

Whittier Office: 13215 Penn St., Suite 410, Whittier, CA 90602

(562) 698-1046

Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center (FDLRC)

http://lanterman.org/

3303 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 252-5600

Harbor Regional Center (HRC)

http://www.harborrc.org/

Main Office: 21231 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503

(310) 540-1711

Long Beach Office: 1155 E. San Antonio Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807

Suite A – Reception

North Los Angeles Regional Center (NLARC)

http://www.nlacrc.org/

Main Office: 15400 Sherman Way, Suite 170, Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 778-1900

Santa Clarita Valley Office: 23560 Magic Mountain Parkway, Suite 150, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

(661) 775-8450

Antelope Valley Office: 43210 Gingham Avenue, Suite 6, Lancaster, CA 95353

(661) 945-6761

South Central Los Angeles Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (SCLARC)

http://sclarc.org/

2500 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018

(213) 744-7000

San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (SGPRC)

http://www.sgprc.org/

761 Corporate Center Drive, Pomona, CA 91768

(909) 620-7722

(800) 822-7504

Westside Regional Center (WRC)

http://www.westsiderc.org/

5901 Green Valley Circle, Ste 320, Culver City, CA 90230-6949

(310) 258-4000

If this information is helpful to you, or you know someone who might benefit, please share with your community! We are all better when we are all active and healthy within our community. And if you are new here, consider our highly specialized swim lesson programs for children and adults with disabilities.

We offer semi-private and private swim lessons for adults and children with special needs, English second language, and United States Service-Disabled Veterans. We are equipped to teach those with ADD & ADHD, amputation, anxiety, auditory processing disorders, Autism Spectrum (verbal and nonverbal), Cerebral Palsy, Down and CHARGE syndrome, Obesity, sensory integration issues, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities. Register here today!

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Important Update to the CA Self Determination Program appeared first on One with the Water.

The Oct 2020 edition of Autism Parenting Magazine expounds on the benefits. “Imagine there was a way to improve your child’s concentration, mental alertness, responsiveness, and peace of mind in 30-40 minutes. The day-to-day challenges faced by autistic children like anxiety, concentration, overstimulation, and social interaction can all be improved.”

For individuals with an ASD diagnosis, the sensory experience of being immersed adds a layer of calm that can’t be duplicated anywhere else.

“In the water, everything feels calmer. It’s like all the noise, feelings, and business of the outside world just stop. The feeling of the water is interesting, and the way light moves through it can be fascinating.”

In addition to all of the benefits of learning to swim and having autism, you might also stop your child from being another statistic! It’s estimated that one out every 59 individuals has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and according to a 2012 study in Pediatrics, 49% of children with ASD have a tendency to wander or bolt from safe settings. Individuals with ASD are often attracted to water yet have little to no sense of danger. Drowning is a leading cause of death in children with ASD. – (NAA – National Autism Association). Give the gift of lifesaving swim lessons this season and help your child become “One With The Water! ”

*Private and public lessons available in packages of four and eight.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Swimming and Autism: Does it really make a difference? appeared first on One with the Water.

At One with the Water, we regularly extoll the well-documented health benefits of swimming. Additionally, there are specific benefits for individuals with special needs. Water buoyancy allows previously restricted individuals to move freely and helps build muscle in low muscle tone individuals. Also, self-regulation, speech, oral motor control, strength, and coordination are just a few areas that can improve with therapy in the water.

According to the Disabled Sports USA, swimming not only offers flexibility within the joints and muscles but strengthens the cardiovascular system as well as the major muscle groups in the upper and lower body. And finally, because the heart works harder when the body is submerged, patients benefit from decreased swelling, reduced blood pressure and improved joint position. This, in turn, improves the swimmers’ proprioception or body awareness.

The buoyant nature of water provides persons with CP patients the opportunity to feel their body free from the constraints they experience on land. Source.

Aquatic therapy is an exceptional choice for children with Cerebral Palsy to increase their range of physical function. Besides the physical properties of water itself, a medium well known for its restorative effects, the aforementioned buoyancy makes both aerobic and anaerobic exercise easier to safely accomplish in the water. In fact, one recent study found that the gross motor function of children with Cerebral Palsy aged 5 to 14 years-old substantially improved in as few as six weeks.

Specific Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy creates unique opportunities to stretch, move, splash, and swim their way to the following benefits: (There are many). *Source

• Improved physical function
• Wider range of movement
• Reduced stress levels
• Alleviates pain and tension on the joints
• Improved cardiovascular function (as previously mentioned).
• Strengthening of weak muscles
• Reeducation of paralyzed muscles
• Improved balance, coordination and posture

Our special needs focused premium swim lessons use harmony, inclusion, and mastery to ensure your child becomes One with the Water. Register today for lessons with the only Level 5 certified disability coach in the area.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Aquatic Therapy for Cerebral Palsy appeared first on One with the Water.

As 2019 is ending, we’d like to take a moment and say thank you. Our mission at One with the Water is to provide access to the lifesaving skill of swimming to everyone, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources.

Steven is a ten-year-old boy with a complicated mood disorder. Starting out, Guy was like every other child, happy and enjoying his little life. Between the ages of 3 and 6, behavioral issues began to occur that defied any typical diagnosis. After suffering abuse at the hands of a biological relative, Steven’s problems began to escalate. His mother fought for accurate diagnosis for years, finally getting help even as Steven’s issues peaked with self-harming and threats of suicide. 

With new doctors and a tailored treatment plan, Steven began participating in the swim lessons offered at One with the Water this year and loves it! He received a full scholarship and has made vast improvements in his personality and anger issues. 

The problem for children like Steven is real. According to decades of research, children with disabilities are statistically more likely to present in a low-income environment. (The average cost of private swim lessons in Los Angeles is over $200/month).

We know, again, based on decades of research, how powerful the therapeutic benefits of swimming can be for children with special needs. Water buoyancy allows previously restricted individuals to move freely and helps build muscle in low muscle tone individuals. Additionally, self-regulation, speech, oral motor control, strength, and coordination are just a few areas that can improve with therapy in the water.

Research also shows that participation in swimming for individuals with disabilities afforded the participants heightened senses of self-concept, independence, ability and pride, and an enhanced perceived quality of life. Athletes found that they were able to redefine their physical capabilities, strengthen social connections, and improve acceptance among their peers.

Lifesaving swim lessons create safer, happier, healthier, more confident kids. We can’t do it without you. As your year draws to an end, consider giving to One with the Water as part of your year-end giving plan. 

Finish strong by saving lives. Join us by donating to help provide need-based scholarships for high risk, high need children. When you give to One with the Water, you impact a child’s life on every plane – mentally, physically, and emotionally, for their lifetime. Please donate today to provide the lifesaving skill of swimming to those who need it most.

*Name changed for privacy reasons.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Give to Save Lives appeared first on One with the Water.

This Giving Tuesday, you have the opportunity to be the neighborhood hero and offer life changing transformation to local kids who need it most. 

The harsh reality is that one in every five drowning deaths occur in children under the age of fourteen, and accidental drowning is the leading cause of death in California between the ages of 1 and 4. Children with special needs have increased drowning risk factors and are statistically more likely to present in low income families, creating a potentially fatal combination of high risk and little to no resources to address the dangers.

Help prevent drowning this Giving Tuesday.

Drowning prevention for members of our most vulnerable populations is literally a matter of life and death. Aside from an increased risk of drowning, children with permanent disabilities who lack consistent therapeutic interventions face increased isolation, increased care requirements, decreased mental health, increased fear and anxiety, and shortened life expectancy.

Swimming provides measurable health and therapeutic benefits for our special needs community, in and out of the water. From better balance and gross motor skills, to improved speech and communication, our athletes are changing their lives by learning to swim. Their risk of accidental drowning plummets by 88%. Being a part of a team reduces isolation and creates positive peer relationships that carry over outside of the pool. And finally, they have the confidence to conquer their fears.

For seven years now, One with the Water has been offering need-based scholarships for premium swimming lessons to children with special needs, service disabled veterans, and low income families in Los Angeles county. Staffed by expert competitive swimmers and former Olympians, we have the only Level 5 Disability certified swim coach in Southern California.

 Be A Local Hero

We know you want to be compassionate, involved members of your community. When you donate to One with the Water, you create real and lasting change in the lives of our adaptive athletes. They are confident, courageous, successful, and safe, thanks to you!

All you need to do is give.

Every dollar you give, whether it’s $10 or $200, goes DIRECTLY to providing swim lessons. Each penny counts, so don’t be intimidated by large amounts. It takes a village, and you are ours.

Communities are changing. Families are changing. Lives are changing. Don’t miss your chance.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Be a hero this Giving Tuesday appeared first on One with the Water.

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities.” 

Children with dyslexia are often bright, creative individuals who are otherwise cognitively successful. How can sports and swimming, in particular, assist someone in managing dyslexia and flourishing at life? 

First of all, as we’ve discussed at length here, regular physical activity improves concentration, focus, and mood, as well as relieving stress. Swimming, in particular, also does the following:

• Improves flexibility within the joints and muscles.
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system.
• Strengthens the major muscle groups in the upper and lower body.
• Helps improve lung capacity, leading to higher oxygen intake, which allows for increased focus in the classroom.
• Additionally, swimming acts as a calming, meditative experience due to the rhythmic, repetitive motion in a quiet, sensory-friendly environment. This aspect of swimming is particularly crucial for students with dyslexia to offset the often stressful day to day work of managing dyslexia in the classroom.

Managing Dyslexia Through Sport

Beyond the health benefits, experts agree that playing sports can normalize a dyslexic child’s experience, allowing them to be peers on the playing field (or in the pool). Athletes learn the value of teamwork, increase self-esteem, establish an identity not rooted in failure and struggle, and learn valuable lessons like the positive results of hard work, plus organizational and planning skills that can be transferred back into the classroom. As one father described it, achieving results in the pool gave his son John the belief that real effort could produce results outside the pool as well. Not only that, the pool improved his overall fitness and was something he loved to do.

And according to this guide for teaching dyslexic students in sports, the strengths of students with dyslexia do lend themselves to excelling in the physical arena. Advantages that include (but are not limited to 

• Multi-sensory learning styles that are particularly suited to sporting activities; 
• Multi-dimensional thinking and perception
• An acute awareness of the environment 
• Originality and creativity in their approach to problem-solving 
• Determination to succeed 
• Endurance and ability to practice the same skill over and over again, even if there is little apparent progress

“Athletics puts them in a position in which they are equal to their peers—they help each other, they cooperate, they pull together, and they learn to accept both winning and losing with grace and maturity.”

If you or your child struggle with dyslexia, consider our premium swim lessons as a path to success both in and out of the water. Register today! 

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Swimming and Dyslexia: Powerful Partners. appeared first on One with the Water.

General health benefits for adaptive athletes.

Physical benefits: General overall health improvements from swimming include: low impact for mobility restricted individuals, improved cardiovascular health, improved flexibility and muscle tone, range of movement, and can provide positive assists in meeting therapeutic goals outside the pool.

Psychological benefits: Recent studies have proven that adaptive athletes report a proportionate increase of positive self-identity with increased physical activity. In the first study, designed to counteract the metaphors and descriptors used for athletes with disabilities, there were three overarching themes.

• Don’t treat athletes differently
• Exercise assists in managing emotions
• Physical activity balances others’ negative perceptions

In the second study, explicitly done on swimmers, athletes also reported similar findings.

• A strong self-identity
• A moderate to strong social identity
• Negative affectivity with lower levels of exclusivity
• Strong competitiveness and goal orientation

But why the swim team?

For adaptive athletes, there are specific benefits of joining a swim team, especially athletes with socialization barriers and self or peer-directed exclusion from neuro-typical events. Adaptive athletes who participate in swim teams benefit from the following:

• Better sport-specific coaching.
• More rigorous training.
• More competition in practice.
• Higher expectations than they are likely to receive in other settings.
• More socialization opportunities.
• Greater independence in activities of daily living.
• Improved ability to cope with limitations imposed by disabilities. (Source).

The data is clear on all fronts. Joining a swim team creates a next level positive impact on the pre-existing physical, emotional, and mental benefits derived from swimming. Register today for an opportunity to join our adaptive athletes swim team!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Should your adaptive athlete join a swim team? appeared first on One with the Water.

At One with the Water, we talk a lot about the power of a growth mindset in every area of our lives. We believe that how you teach is just as important as what you teach when it comes to swimming lessons because we believe in equipping our clients for success in all areas of life. It informs every part of our coaching, teaching, and decision-making process. So what exactly is our coaching philosophy?

What is the Coaching Philosophy at One with the Water?

At One with the Water, we teach swimming lessons using a Growth Mindset approach. This is a foundational pillar of our coaching philosophy. Pioneered by Dr. Carol Dweck, the Growth Mindset is predicated on the simple belief that while everyone’s starting point may differ, our most basic abilities can grow and develop with consistent hard work and dedication. As authority figures, the messages we send to students and clients about success can often cause them to fall into the fixed mindset, as their success breeds a fear of failure. If success means they are smart/talented/brilliant/athletic, then failure means they are the opposite of all those things. At One with the Water, we praise our clients based on the growth processes used to perform – practice, study, effort, consistency, and persistence — and connect it to the outcomes, successful or not. And we are always developing new strategies and approaches. Because everyone is different. Because everyone learns in a different way.

Register now to take advantage of our premium lessons and start your journey today. 

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post One with the Water Coaching Philosophy appeared first on One with the Water.

Attention Southern California friends: we always love to tell you when opportunities arise for our special needs families, even when they don’t relate to swimming. To that end, Studio Movie Grill (southern California) is offering FREE Saturday movie screenings for children with special needs (siblings too!)

Free Special Needs Movie Screening

A pillar of Studio Movie Grill’s Community Outreach since 2003, the Special Needs Screenings are designed for families raising children with special needs. Special Needs Screenings are shown with the lights up and the volume lowered and children are free to move around, talk, or even dance in the aisles during the movie.

The sensory friendly screenings are free for children with special needs and their siblings (parental guidance is always suggested). Adult tickets are available at before-noon price.

Summer Schedule and Locations

• July 13^th          Spider-Man: Far From Home
• July 27^th          Disney’s The Lion King
• August 17^th    Dora and The Lost City of Gold

And Coming Soon

• Angry Birds
• Abominable
• The Addams Family

Special Needs Screenings are shown on Saturday at 11:00am at the following Studio Movie Grill Southern California locations:

Studio Movie Grill – DOWNEY:  8200 3rd Street, Downey, CA 90241

Studio Movie Grill – MONROVIA: 410 S Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016

Studio Movie Grill – REDLANDS: 340 N Eureka Street, Redlands, CA 92374

Studio Movie Grill – SIMI VALLEY: In the Simi Valley Town Center, 1555 Simi Town Center Way Simi Valley, CA 93065

Enjoy the movies with your family!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Free Saturday Movies for Special Needs Families appeared first on One with the Water.