A Study of How Hydrotherapy Affects the Brain and Its Effectiveness on Children with Varying Levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The goal of this research is to test which parts of the brain hydrotherapy triggers and the behaviours linked to each part of the brain. There has been extensive research on potential drugs that can benefit Autism, including Risperidone and Balovaptan, as well as music therapy. Hydrotherapy is a fairly novel therapy idea, and there has been some research conducted on the effectiveness of this therapy without accounting for the functionality of the child. Therefore, this research aims to determine which parts of the brain will receive blood flow, measured by fMRI, following hydrotherapy and which level of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder) will experience the greatest benefits.