Erika Kemp:
The number one cause of accidental death in kids with autism is drowning. 

[Music playing]

[On-screen text:
The number one cause of accidental death in kids with autism is drowning
That's why researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center developed an adaptive swim program]

[On-screen text:
Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP
Assistant professor, clinical
The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences]

Erika Kemp:
The big focus is safety swim skills, that if they were to be out of view of a parent or on a vacation or wander away, a lot of kids with autism love water. They love the feel of the water on their body. They love to splash. They love to be in that world. And so, because they can't learn how to swim typically with their peers in a group swim lesson, our whole goal is to help them to at least be able, if they fall in the water, can they resurface? 

[Music stops]

Sounds of swim lesson:
1, 2, 3, yay! 

[Music plays]

Erika Kemp:
Can they catch their breath? Can they turn themselves and get back to the side of the pool, the pond, whatever it may be. So that's our big focus that we want them to be able to walk away with: those basic core safety skills.

We really focus a lot on back floats because that is a safety survival skill. Can they flip on their back, take a break, get their breath, and then flip back over and continue swimming towards the exit? We also teach them how to safely enter and exit the pool, whether that's through a ladder or climbing out of the edge. If they are at a pool and they do fall in, can they get out of the pool without a ladder? Everyone has this overarching goal of safety swim skills, but we also can then individualize the intervention to what each kid needs. 

[On-screen text:
Based on the initial success, this program will continue]

Erika Kemp:
The program is open to anyone that has a diagnosis of autism between the ages of 5 and 9 that are not yet independent swimmers.

[On-screen text:
In the future, programs like this one could be available to help autistic children across the country]

[The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center]