This course examines clinical decision-making related to the selection, application, and progression of aquatic therapy equipment across rehabilitation populations and age groups. Content focuses on how commonly used tools—such as flotation devices, resistance equipment, mats, boards, and pool jets—alter support, resistance, instability, and sensory input to influence posture, balance, gait, and strength training. Participants will explore how aquatic equipment can be intentionally dosed and progressed to support therapeutic goals while maintaining patient safety and meaningful transfer to land-based interventions. This course was designed for an interprofessional audience.
Live Webinar
Tue, Sep 1, 2026 at 6:00 pm EDTUnder Review: AOTA/0.2 - Application has been made to the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA's) Approved Provider Program.
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to differentiate common types of aquatic therapy equipment and their purposes to support reengagement in occupation.
- After this course, participants will be able to differentiate how various pieces of equipment affect buoyancy, resistance, sensation, and balance.
- After this course, participants will be able to differentiate how interprofessional collaboration between physical and occupational therapists influences equipment selection and progression decisions compared to discipline-specific practice.
Agenda
| 0-5 Minutes | Introduction |
| 5-45 Minutes | Common types of aquatic therapy equipment and their purposes |
| 45-75 Minutes | How equipment modifies buoyancy, resistance, and balance |
| 75-105 Minutes | Comparing aquatic and land-based tools for similar clinical goals |
| 105-115 Minutes | Interprofessional Reflection & Overcoming Barriers |
| 115-120 Minutes | Summary; Q&A |
Presented By
Andrea Salzman
MS, PT
Andrea Salzman, MS, PT, graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Master’s degree in physical therapy. She has over 30 years of experience with hands-on care and training, specializing in geriatrics, patient motivation, aquatics, and musculoskeletal and balance disorders. She has presented 200 seminars, authored 300 PT articles, served as a PT-related journal editor, and was once featured on the cover of Physical Therapy magazine. Salzman has served as adjunct faculty at the College of St. Catherine’s (now St. Catherine’s University) for 8 years and as the Vice President of 10K Health, LLC, a temporary staffing agency, for a decade. She currently serves as the Director for Aquatic Therapy University and ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars and has assisted hundreds of facilities during the start-up and training phases of their aquatic practice.
More
Continued and its subsidiaries provide professional education authored by qualified Subject Matter Experts for continuing education purposes. These materials are intended for educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or a substitute for individual clinical judgment. Continued is not a clinical healthcare provider; the licensed professional is solely responsible for ensuring that the application of any techniques or information presented is within their legal scope of practice and jurisdictional requirements.
Financial: Andrea Salzman received an honorarium for presenting this course. Non-financial: Andrea Salzman owns ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars, a continuing education company.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by OccupationalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
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NOTE: Full attendance for all courses is mandatory. For self-study courses, this includes reading the full text, listening to the full audio recording, or watching the complete video, as appropriate for the format of the course.
Passing an online exam and completing a course evaluation will be required to earn continuing education credit.
Live Webinars allow presenter and participant interaction. The exam and course evaluation for these courses must be completed within 7 days of the event.
On-demand courses include texts, video and audio recordings of live webinars, and multimedia formats. The exam and course evaluation for on-demand courses must be completed within 30 days of course registration.
To participate in the course, complete the exam and course evaluation, and earn continuing education credit, you must be a OccupationalTherapy.com member. Participants must complete the entire course; partial credit is not allowed.
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