FIU’s Tana Carson and Tania Santiago Perez created an evidence-based program to prepare future physical, occupational, and recreational therapists to teach swimming and water safety to children with autism, who are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers.
The program builds on a study that examined 164 children with disabilities that participated in five-day swim programs. The swim skills of 62% of the children, including those with autism, improved by at least one level. The program focuses on breaking swim instruction into smaller steps, allowing time to build comfort and address challenges such as fear of the water. “Every child deserves the chance to be safe in the water,” says Santiago Perez.
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