Swimming program saves children with autism in the United States

Professors at Florida International University (FIU), including Tania Santiago Pérez from Mexico, have developed a vital swimming program aimed at children with autism. This initiative stems from the alarming statistic that children with autism are 160% more likely to drown than other children, coupled with a shortage of instructors trained to teach them. The program seeks to equip these children with essential water safety skills.

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It's super important that children with autism learn to swim because Florida leads in the United States in the number of children with autism who die from drowning.

The pilot program is based on research published in 'Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences,' which demonstrated a significant improvement in aquatic abilities for 62.5% of participating children with autism. Drowning is identified as a leading cause of death for individuals with autism, according to the National Autistic Association (NAA). It is also a primary cause of death for young children generally and a significant one for older children.

Santiago Pérez highlighted the critical need for such programs, particularly in Florida, which leads the U.S. in drowning deaths among children with autism. "It's super important that children with autism learn to swim because Florida leads in the United States in the number of children with autism who die from drowning," she told EFE. She stressed that this has become a public health issue, requiring more trained personnel to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities, especially given Florida's abundant water bodies.

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And that has become a public health issue. We need more trained personnel to give them swimming lessons and prevent those accidents, injuries, or even death. Here in Florida, for example, you have water everywhere, we have pools, beaches, the ocean, ponds.

The FIU program, now in its second year of a three-year pilot, has already instructed 12 individuals with autism and recruited four recreational therapy students. Santiago Pérez, an associate professor of rehabilitation and recreational therapy at FIU, noted the ongoing scarcity of qualified swimming instructors capable of meeting the specific needs of children with autism. The lessons integrate rehabilitation techniques, including recreational, physical, and occupational therapy, alongside structured, individualized approaches, games, and visual cues to help children learn to swim more effectively and safely.

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There is a shortage of qualified swimming instructors who can meet the needs of children with autism.