Programs
What ATF Builds
ATF does not deliver clinical care. We build the educational systems, workforce pathways, and institutional infrastructure that make safe, effective aquatic rehabilitation possible — especially in communities where those systems do not yet exist.
Our programs fall into six areas. Each is designed to multiply impact: one trained professional, one equipped organization, one shared framework can reach hundreds of patients and anchor access for an entire region.
Our Six Program Areas
1. Professional & Student Education
ATF partners with universities, health-profession programs, and continuing education providers to integrate evidence-informed aquatic rehabilitation and water-safety principles into the preparation of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, therapeutic recreation specialists, and related disciplines. We strengthen the educational foundation before professionals ever enter a clinical setting.
2. Workforce Development & Train-the-Trainer
ATF develops scalable workforce pathways that prepare clinicians, instructors, and community providers to deliver safe, inclusive aquatic programming — and to train others to do the same. Trained participants return to their organizations as internal instructors who expand access, mentor colleagues, and sustain program quality over time. All activities are educational and non-clinical.
3. Research, Evaluation & Evidence Translation
ATF supports and disseminates applied research and program evaluation in aquatic rehabilitation, translating peer-reviewed evidence into practical teaching tools, curricula, guidelines, and educator resources. We prioritize research that directly strengthens workforce readiness and improves educational quality across clinical and community settings.
4. Industry, Public-Sector & Professional Collaboration
ATF collaborates with healthcare organizations, community agencies, academic institutions, professional associations, federal and state agencies, tribal nations, and military- and veteran-serving organizations to improve aquatic safety, accessibility, and program quality. We maintain independence from commercial endorsement while supporting shared learning and capacity-building across diverse aquatic settings.
5. Public Education & Payer Awareness
ATF creates educational tools and outreach resources that explain the functional, health-related, and economic value of evidence-informed aquatic programming — for the public, referral sources, and payers. These activities are educational in nature and do not involve lobbying or legislative advocacy.
6. Water Safety, Water Competence & Inclusive Access
ATF advances water competence, water confidence, and drowning-prevention strategies across the lifespan, with a particular focus on individuals with disabilities, sensory or behavioral challenges, and elevated aquatic risk. Our efforts center on public-health education, adaptive practices, and inclusive aquatic environments that leave no population behind.
Who We Serve
ATF serves the general public, with sustained emphasis on communities where access to qualified aquatic professionals, adaptive water-safety education, or program infrastructure is limited or absent.
Clinical and rehabilitation populations: individuals with autism spectrum disorder, spinal cord injury, stroke and neurological conditions, developmental disabilities, orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions, and medical complexity across the lifespan.
Underserved communities: rural and Appalachian regions, tribal nations and Indigenous communities, Medicaid-dependent and safety-net organizations, low-resource schools and community programs.
Special populations: military-connected families, veterans, trauma-impacted individuals, behavioral health and recovery communities, older adults at risk of falls or loss of independence, and pediatric early-intervention programs.
ATF does not provide direct clinical treatment. We equip the professionals and organizations that serve these populations.
2026–27 Signature Initiatives
These three initiatives are ATF’s first funded implementations of its broader education and workforce mission. Each is time-limited, targeted, and designed to produce a replicable model.
Pediatric Water Competence & Autism Initiative
Strengthening therapists and aquatic professionals to support children with autism through sensory-informed aquatic readiness, participation, and foundational water-competence practices.
Cognition, Communication & Participation Initiative
Developing interdisciplinary educational resources that help providers use aquatic environments to support cognition, communication, sensory regulation, participation, and human performance across clinical and community settings.
Train-the-Trainer Workforce Initiative
Building scalable workforce pathways through coursework, simulated skills labs, mentorship, and implementation support so local organizations can expand access and sustain quality aquatic programs.
Partner With Us
ATF actively seeks grant partners, institutional collaborators, and organizational partners who share our commitment to workforce equity and aquatic access. If your funding priorities align with any of our program areas, we want to hear from you.
→ Learn about grant partnership opportunities
→ Contact us directly
