Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of death for autistic children and accounts for approximately 90% of deaths in children with ASD under age 14.

The statistics are staggering.

In 2015 I created a FREE swim lesson program for a local school for autistic children. I worked with 15 children ranging in age from 2-15, along with each of their individual ABA therapists, once a week for a year and then the following summer. We set small goals and as we accomplished each one we set more. I was so proud of each swimmer’s success and many of them turned into lap swimmers. This is where I learned that I CAN help, make a difference, and that I don’t have to be afraid or intimidated by their needs and they can swim!!! I’m so eternally grateful for that experience.

In the attached video is Carter. He has Autism and Apraxia as well as a few other diagnoses. He is non-verbal. We have worked on sitting and waiting for the permission to enter the pool (no eloping), body position and kicking, and getting comfortable with getting his face wet as well as floating on his back. With strict consistency and proper verbiage and praise, he is now able to swim the length of the pool multiple times in a lesson AND today he floated independently for the first time ever! We even started the swim, roll, float process today combining all of the individual skills to turn them into into water safety/survival swimming.

I am excited, proud, relieved, and amazed by this little man and I’m so grateful I was chosen to be his teacher and potentially save his life. He has watched this video and smiles. You can tell he is happy and proud too. ❤️

I specialize in working with special needs. In addition to working with children that have ASD, I have experience with sensory disorders, behavioral disorders, paraplegia, spinal muscular atrophy, palsy, congenital limb defects, little people, blind children, and deaf children, to name a few. I’d like to spread the word because there are just not enough special needs instructors and these children can learn as well as any swimmer. Don’t give up on finding the perfect person to teach your children how to save their own lives.

Please share this post. I have lots of availability still for 2020 and I’d like for all of you special needs mommas to know there is hope and a way. I am passionate about water safety. I’m the mother of a drowning survivor. And I will take the time to set appropriate goals and teach ANYONE to swim.