Why drowning prevention is particularly important for people with autism
If you take a look at the incidence of drownings, the Autism population is drastically more impacted than individuals without Autism. The propensity to wander increases this risk — about 50% of people with Autism will wander or have wandered (Kennedy Krieger, 2012). Wandering is when a person leaves a safe environment or a responsible caregiver (CDC, 2019). When a person with Autism has wandered, they may be in a heightened state of arousal or dysregulated,
altering their ability to determine what is safe or unsafe. This means the individual could unknowingly put themselves in a dangerous situation, especially when wandering towards the water. The scientific properties of water provide sensory input and can be highly reinforcing to a person with Autism.
Why people have a tough time securing swim instruction
Every Autistic experience and journey is unique, but one detail remains universal: most individuals and families nationwide do not have access to adequate and appropriate swim instruction to meet their needs. This paired with the growing nationwide water safety instructor shortage is a recipe for disaster.
Additionally, instructors report not feeling equipped to teach the broad range of abilities and support needs on the spectrum. Due to this, Autistic individuals are not provided with an opportunity to learn to swim or worse they have an experience that causes swimming to be aversive.
What the Autism Society has been doing about that
The Autism Society of America has created their Safety on the Spectrum: Accessible Aquatics™ program. This is a gold standard training increasing education across the Autism community and equipping aquatics professionals with the support needed to increase safety for Autistics in and near water in local communities. A lot of our community has significant support needs; our learn to swim curriculum accounts for individuals requiring the highest level of need so that every person is afforded the opportunity to learn to swim in a respectful, person-centered way.
The Autism Society of America’s Autism Is campaign takes center stage, amplifying the voices and lived experiences of Autistic individuals. Autism Is personal and collective—an identity, a culture, a way of life. It comes with strengths and struggles, moments of joy and challenges. By embracing the full reality of Autism, we move beyond awareness toward acceptance and meaningful action.