For children with autism, drowning is one of the leading causes of death, according to the National Autism Association. This fall, Missouri State University will a program specifically designed to teach children with autism how to stay safe around water.Children swimming in Shanghai

Amanda McGill's 5-year-old son Ian was diagnosed with autism when he was three. Depending on the day, Ian either loves playing with water or is terrified of it. McGill said there are other kids like him.

"A lot of them do love water and they will just go in and they don't even know how to swim," she said.Dr. Sapna Chakraborty is the head of the Occupational Therapy Department at MSU."In the last decade, we've seen more incidents of drowning," Chakraborty said.

That's why she started the SWIM Program. It stands for Swimming and Water Instruction Modified. The goal is to meet the need of each individual child to help them learn basic water skills. Children with autism could have sensory, physical and communication needs that might make swimming a challenge.Chakraborty said children with autism can be overwhelmed in traditional swimming lessons because of the lights, the sounds, even the water temperature.

So for the SWIM class, Chakraborty makes modifications to prevent any child from having sensory overload. She reserves the aquatic center at the Foster Recreational Center so the young swimmers have it all to themselves. The music and the fountains get turned off.

The swimmers get one-on-one training from occupational therapy students. Chakraborty said the instructors have used cards and even iPads to teach children who might have trouble communicating.

McGill said, learning new things doesn't come naturally for Ian and sometimes, he needs more explanation than other kids his age."This program is nice for those kids that kind of need to slow down a little bit and teach them what those safety skills are," McGill said.The SWIM program is an attempt to prevent the unimaginable from happening for parents like McGill. That's why she's enrolling her son.
Chakraborty said her goal isn't focused on children becoming proficient swimmers, but is designed to teach them basic water survival skills. Another goal is to help children and their parents figure out what instructions work best for them. They can then take those tools to traditional swimming lessons.

Chakraborty said the fall session of SWIM filled up in about two hours, and there's already a waiting list. There will be another session in the spring. With such great need, she said she hopes to train more instructors, like those with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board about her techniques. It can give parents peace of mind and even potentially save lives.