Autistic children are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers, highlighting the importance of providing water safety lessons tailored to their needs.
FIU researchers Tana Carson and Tania Santiago Perez are addressing this important problem by preparing future therapists to play a key role in keeping autistic children safe in and around the water.
Occupational therapists help children with disabilities master essential everyday skills, such as handwriting and riding a bike, while recreational therapists focus on developing leisure and recreation skills. Although occupational and recreational therapists play vital roles, swim instruction – a lifesaving skill – has not traditionally been included in their training.
To address this gap, Carson, an assistant professor of occupational therapy in FIU's Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Santiago Perez, an associate teaching professor of rehabilitation and recreational therapy in FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education, created an evidence-based program that prepares students – future physical, occupational and recreational therapists – to teach swimming and water safety to autistic children.
"My dream is that by creating a curriculum to equip therapy professionals with the skills to teach swimming and water safety, we can impact countless children and, hopefully, help save lives," Carson said.
Carson and Santiago Perez's approach offers training to rehabilitation professionals to prepare them to provide the continuum of water safety services from water safety education on land to adapted swimming instruction in the water through individualized intervention techniques. The program incorporates visual supports and therapeutic approaches to teaching new skills.
In partnership with the YMCA of South Florida's Y-Swim Buddies program, Carson and Santiago Perez are currently leading a pilot study to track children's skills over time. They hope to expand the curriculum to universities nationwide.
Tana Carson and Tania Santiago Perez
