{"id":20154,"date":"2022-09-02T13:53:39","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T17:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.poac.net\/?p=20154"},"modified":"2024-02-22T13:11:11","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T18:11:11","slug":"eliminating-drowning-in-our-lifetime-the-leading-cause-of-death-for-children-with-autism","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.poac.net\/blog\/eliminating-drowning-in-our-lifetime-the-leading-cause-of-death-for-children-with-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Eliminating Drowning in Our Lifetime – The Leading Cause of Death for Children with Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Water safety is vitally important for everyone, but an even greater concern for individuals on the autism spectrum.\u00a0 The numbers are tragic- 1,200 children drown each year in our country with an additional 7,000 children winding up in the Emergency Room due to near drowning incidents.\u00a0 In fact, drowning is the number one cause of death for all children age 5 and under.\u00a0 But for children on the autism spectrum, drowning is the number one cause of death for children age 14 and under.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Let Me Be Very Clear: <\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

DROWNING IS 100% PREVENTABLE -100%<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Let us wrap our heads around that for a moment.\u00a0\u00a0We can eliminate drowning in our lifetime, simply by changing our habits, what we do, and the rules that we follow around water.<\/p>\n

Let us also consider the fact that nearly 50% of everyone on the autism spectrum will elope or wander sometime during their lifetime. This means they will go missing from a safe location. Because of this we have resources and information on our website to greatly reduce the risk of elopement and wandering for your child.\u00a0 You are not alone.<\/p>\n

While drowning and elopement are often interconnected, they are two distinct risks.\u00a0 This article will specifically address how to prevent drowning, injury and death from water hazards in your home and in the community.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with some common misconceptions and myths about drowning. Create a picture in your mind of someone who is drowning. What does it look like? What does it sound like? Do you see a lot of waiving of arms and flailing? Do you hear splashing and screams for help? Is the person all alone in a large pool or body of water? This brings us to our first misconception.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception One:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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“My child is safe because I am always near by when they are in the pool.”<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nearly half of all parents believe that if a child was drowning, they would hear it and see it. The fact is that most children who drown in a pool are within a few feet of an adult.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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The Instinctive Drowning Response\u2014so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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No screaming. Drowning people cannot breathe, and breathing is required for calling out for help. No waving. When drowning begins, people instinctively press downwards against the water to try and prop their bodies towards the surface. No control. Instincts take over when drowning, meaning people lose control of their muscles and cannot wave for help or paddle towards safety. In 10 percent of those cases, an adult will actually watch the child die without realizing it.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Two:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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“My child is too young to learn how to swim.”<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics supports formal swimming lessons as early as one year of age. Statistics compiled by the USA Swimming Foundation prove that when you enroll a child in formal swimming lessons, it reduces their risk of drowning by 88%.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Three:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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“The lifeguard will watch my child.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The lifeguard is there to enforce the rules, keep people safe, and to respond if something happens, but they can\u2019t watch every child. We can\u2019t put the safety of our children solely on the lifeguard. It\u2019s up to us as parents and caregivers to ensure that our children are safe. What about pool parties? Drownings at pool parties are swift and silent, and usually take place with adults standing just feet away from the pool. More adults is not necessarily better. Everyone thinks someone is watching and at any particular moment, there may be no one watching. \u00a0We need a specified \u201cWater Watcher\u201d at every pool party. More about Water Watchers later.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Four:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u201cMy child knows how to swim so they are safe.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We need to embrace the notion that our children are \u201csafer\u201d rather than \u201csafe.\u201d You always want to ask yourself, \u201cIs there risk involved? How can I reduce the risk for my child?\u201d Layers of protection are needed.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Five:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u201cI can solely rely on water wings to teach my child to swim.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Most water safety advocates do not recommend them because they give the child a false sense of security. Children may feel very confident in the pool with water wings, but when a child falls into a pool, it is usually without their water wings.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Six:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t need a gate around my pool if my backyard is fenced.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Having a fenced yard is a great step toward keeping others from getting in and drowning. But anyone who comes out of your house into the backyard is vulnerable. You need a secondary fence around the pool with a latching gate. The adds another layer of protection.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Misconception Seven:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u201cI can run inside just for a minute to get the phone.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It can take less than a minute to drown.\u00a0 Prepare everything you need in advance so you can have your eyes on your child at all times. If you forgot it, leave it until your child is safely out of the pool or tub.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Pretty scary so far, right? Don\u2019t worry, there are many things we can do to reduce all these risks and keep our children safe from drowning.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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The A, B, C, D, and E of Water Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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A is for Adult.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Children should never have access to any form of water, including but not limited to pool, spa, bathtub, without an adult who has eye-to-eye contact with them.\u00a0 Watch kids when they are in or around water. Keep young children and weak swimmers within arm\u2019s reach of an adult. Make sure more experienced swimmers are with a partner\u00a0every time<\/strong>. Your older child may say,\u00a0\u201cMom, I\u2019m just taking a quick dip.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Even if they know how to swim, they should never swim alone.<\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier, at pool events designate a \u201cWater Watcher.\u201d When there are several adults present, choose one to be responsible for watching children in or near the water for a certain period of time, such as 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, select another adult to be the Water Watcher. This person cannot be on the phone or otherwise distracted.\u00a0Pool Safely<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has an entire free program including information and a free lanyard for the designated water watcher.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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B is for Barrier.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Barriers such as fences should be at least 4 ft high with self-closing, self-latching gates. This applies to in-ground, above ground, and portable pools. Children need to know how important barriers are and to respect them. Even if your home is fenced, your pool should also have a fence. If it does not, make sure your home does not have a pet door as children have been known to use them to get out and access the pool. Again, you want layers of protection including fence, pool covers, and pool alarms.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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C is for Swim Class.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every child with autism needs to know how to swim- not most, all.\u00a0 You need an instructor experienced with working with children with autism.\u00a0 So how do you find an instructor? There are lots of ways. Ask your local support group or special needs PTA. Use Google as a starting point but call and verify that the staff have experience with children with autism. YMCAs are also a great source of lessons for children.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Make sure kids learn these 5 water survival skills.<\/p>\n