Essential Water Safety Tips for a Safer Summer

Camille A. Ponce, M.Ed., BCBA  

Pools, Beaches, Lakes and Rivers are all common sights to set your eyes on for the warmer months. Water Safety is an integral part for children but even more so for our learners with Autism who may not exhibit the same awareness of the dangers that can come along with all of the fun.  

A Study done in Columbia University’s School of Public Health in 2017 found that children with Autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general pediatric population. 70-80% of these occur in a home swimming pool. This means the tools we have to prevent these incidents are right within our own home.  

• Get child proof locks and alarms, specifically made for exterior doors to prevent sneaking out to play!  
• Fencing around the pool that has a self-close and self-latch gate is an additional level of security for the days the whole family will be outside but not necessarily in the pool  
• Choose a water watcher for the family! It is easy enough to assume there’s lots of people around so someone would surely be watching the kids. Get rid of the assumptions and designate a water watcher. Use a lanyard to indicate “Who’s it”  and take turns with family members/guests. The designated water watcher would be the responsible adult supervising the children in this setting. They should free from distractions and have the ability to swim themselves.(A parent who has never learned to swim yields a 87% chance that their child also does not know how to swim.)  
• Sign up for Swim Lessons! They can be tailored in a public pool setting or privacy of an instructors home. Safe Splash Swim School and your local YMCA are great organizations to start with  
• ABA Services can help! Your clinical team can work on teaching routines such as  putting on a life jacket/flotation device before opening up a gate, asking a grown up to go outside to play in the water, and reduce elopement and following safety directives to stop when near bodies of water.