Swim program for kids on autism spectrum expanding, thanks to $2.9M award

For children on the autism spectrum, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death, according to the National Autism Association.

That’s why it’s imperative that they have access to swim instruction that’s effective for them, says Erika Kemp, a board-certified pediatric occupational therapist who developed Ohio State’s AquOTic program.

Unfortunately, without specific training, swim instructors aren’t always able to adapt their lessons appropriately for kids who have unique sensory, motor and behavioral needs.

Now, with a $2.9 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense, the research team with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences can expand an existing water competency and water safety training designed specifically for kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

What the AquOTic expansion means

“This funding supports training 64 people to deliver our AquOTic occupational therapy intervention to 108 children on the autism spectrum,” says Jewel Crasta, PhD, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at Ohio State and co-leader of the AquOTic program. “We want to make this swim safety training more broadly accessible to the wider autistic community.”

What AquOTic program provides

In this program, group lessons are led by an expert therapist, and children get one-on-one support from an interventionist — typically a graduate therapy student who tailors lessons to the child’s individual needs.

Earlier iterations of the model saw positive results, giving participants improved swimming and water safety skills in addition to improvements in physical and social competencies outside of swimming, says Kemp, who’s also director of Ohio State’s occupational therapy program.