Families in our community are in need of swimming instructors with experience teaching autistic children how to swim. If this describes you, our Autism Swim Connect database allows you to register your name so that families may find you.

Why Register?

In the autism community, wandering/elopement – or walking/bolting from safe supervision – is a common occurrence and usually leads to drownings, near drownings or rescues from water. As a result of wandering, our community faces an exceptionally high drowning rate.  In fact, for children with autism, the risk of drowning is 160 times that of the general pediatric population, according to a 2017 study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

According to research by the National Autism Association over the last 20 years, drowning accounts for the overwhelming majority of wandering-related fatalities. In 2024, 6 children with autism drowned per month on average.

Given these data, we strongly urge parents to enroll their child into swimming lessons as early as possible. Yet for many, instructors that understand autism remain difficult to find. For this reason, we are seeking instructors and facilities that can help our families. As part of Autism Swim Connect, your information will only be provided to families seeking out lessons in your community.   

You will recieve an email once a year to verify your listing.