The Play Pool vs. Aqua Therapy... What's the difference?

At first glance, The Play Pool might sound like an aquatic therapy program. After all, our instructors are licensed pediatric occupational therapists with extensive experience supporting neurodiverse children in the water.

But The Play Pool isn’t therapy—by design. The Play Pool was created by the same team behind one of Hawaii’s most established pediatric therapy practices—Sprouts Therapy. We've seen firsthand how powerful aquatic therapy can be, but also where the limits of the traditional model lie. It was created as a complement to traditional therapy, for all neurodivergent kids on the island of Oahu to benefit from play-based aquatic support, despite waitlists, insurance coverage, diagnosis or doctor referrals.

At The Play Pool we understand that there is a gap between children who are at risk of drowning and children who are successful at typical swimming lessons. The Play Pool is our answer to that gap!

We support those early swimmers, the ones that are too scared to touch the water or even take a bath as well as the kids who already love the water but need help staying safe, calm, and connected while they’re in it.

Some of our children wouldn’t succeed in a traditional swim class—not necessarily because they can’t swim, but because they need more time to regulate before following direction, learn better through one-on-one or imaginative play, struggle with transitions, new people, or loud environments and so much more. Sometimes it takes qualified individuals to make the gains needed to ensure our children are safe around the water and in the community we live in. Our instructors are here to fill that void.

The Play Pool was also created for the well-being of therapists—because we believe that when clinicians are regulated and joyful, kids thrive too. Across the country, pediatric therapists are burning out at alarming rates. Between the mounting documentation demands, insurance battles, and ever-growing caseloads, many gifted clinicians are leaving the field—or transferring to other OT settings where the paperwork is lighter and the pressure is lower. The Play Pool was created to help change that. By eliminating documentation requirements, rigid service plans, and billing systems, we make room for what therapists love most: working with kids.

The Play Pool is Therapy Informed not Therapy Bound. Its' not therapy but still incredibly therapeutic. At The Play Pool, our instructors are licensed pediatric therapists with training in areas like sensory integration, neurodiversity, and water-based interventions. However, we operate outside of the insurance and medical therapy model. We don't write progress reports or work off medical goals. There's no need for insurance or documentation or attending IEP meetings. Instructors can focus 100% on connection and co-regulation

That means:

1. No need for referrals or formal evaluations or re-evaluations

2. No diagnosis required

3. No paperwork, billing, or insurance hassle

4. Therapists aren’t tied to typing documentation after each session

5. There are no IEP meetings, progress notes, or insurance forms to complete

6. Sessions can be flexible and spontaneous without needing to cancel others to “catch up” on documentation

Therapists often say they feel more energized, more creative, and more present—and kids feel that too.This model doesn't just help therapists stay grounded—it helps them stay in the profession longer, doing the work they love in a way that nourishes them too.

• The kiddos can still:

  • Become more water safe and confident

  • Reduce fears around bathing or swimming

  • Improve sensory regulation, motor planning, and attention

  • Learn to calm and co-regulate through movement and connection

  But it happens through freedom and fun—not data collection and checklists.

  
  

  The Play Pool is not therapy, not a typical swim class—and not a replacement for either.

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