As the weather heats up, many of us head to the water – the beach, the pool, the lake. Given that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under age five, particularly those with Autism, it is imperative that we teach our loved ones the basics of water safety. This includes teaching them about different aquatic environments, entering and exiting the water safely, swimming and rescue skills. As with other skills, we need to teach these skills directly and clearly to our children with Autism. A great place to start is with the Autism Society of Florida’s article on water safety.
Emphasize the three most important safety rules to EVERY family member:
- Never swim alone.
- No swimming without adult supervision.
- Never enter the water without permission.
The Autism Society of America has developed resources (including social stories) to help. You can download them here. The National Autism Association offers the Big Red Safety Toolkit to help navigate safety issues.
So, this brings me to the issue of swim lessons. I don’t think that I am alone in being the parent of an Autistic child who was kicked out of swimming lessons – at two different pools. My son Kieran loved the water but had difficulty attending to what the instructor was saying – way too much other sensory information coming in. A program by OSU’s physical education students taught him a rudimentary dog paddle and how to remain calm and signal the lifeguard if he became anxious in deep water. Later, some wonderful Special Olympics coaches were able to teach more traditional strokes.
He is now an excellent swimmer, but it was hard getting here. I encourage you to persevere. More and more places are offering lessons for children with special needs. A few of these include the YMCA, Safe Splash Swim Schools, Bear Paddle, colleges and universities, and your local rec center.
If you need help finding a program, call your local Autism Society affiliate or ASO at 614-495-7551. Some great ideas for fostering water safety skills and finding an appropriate swim instructor can be found here.
Warm regards,
Kathi J. Machle, President | kathi@autismohio.org
PHOTO: Kieran in 2015, celebrating his silver medal in the 100-meter individual medley – backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. He worked very hard not to be disqualified for his breaststroke kick!