Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Capstone Project
Research Type
Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Department
Occupational Therapy
Program Chair
Kitsum Li, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS
Faculty Mentor
Julia Wilbarger PhD, OTR/L
Content Expert
Julia Wilbarger PhD, OTR/L
Site Mentor
Julia Wilbarger PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
There is a need for inclusion in therapeutic aquatic programming for children diagnosed with autism (ASD), as their increased participation in aquatic interventions and activities promotes safety and well-being for this population. Pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) are vital to fill this gap in skill, as pediatric OTs consistently work with children diagnosed with ASD (Jaicks, 2024), and core principles of the occupational therapy (OT) profession include enhancing one’s safety and well-being (American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 2025). Children diagnosed with ASD must have the opportunity to engage in swimming and aquatic therapy, as this population is at a higher risk of drowning than their neurotypically developing peers (Kemp et al., 2024; American Red Cross, 2017); therefore, the goal of the project was to improve the lives of children diagnosed with ASD by promoting their aquatic participation. To achieve this, the project designed and implemented an aquatic program for children diagnosed with ASD based on a program-specific toolkit that promotes safety, well- being, and inclusion through evidence-based practice and OT core principles. The project was evaluated through a project-specific participation scale. The anticipated outcome was to promote aquatic participation for children diagnosed with ASD through the implementation of core OT practices, interventions, and activities.