Ensuring Safety for Autistic Children: Water Safety and Drowning File Folders

If you are reading this blog, then you either work with kids on the spectrum or you have a child with autism. The average age of death for a male with autism is 36 years. This is truly terrifying.

If that number scares me, then it has to scare you too. This number is not going away for a long time. All we can do is our very best to teach our lower functioning students how to recognize a dangerous situation and avoid them.

Introducing my Ultimate Safety File Bundle, which includes 25 file folders filled with images designed to teach children what is safe and unsafe. These folders feature pictures of safe swimming practices and highlight the dangers of being near a pool or lake unsupervised. This unique offering is particularly important for keeping our autistic kids safe, addressing a critical need in the community.

According to a study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, individuals with autism are at a substantially heightened risk for injury-related deaths. The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, reveal that deaths in individuals with autism have increased by 700 percent in the past 16 years. Drowning is the leading cause of death among autistic children, making it crucial to provide swimming classes immediately following diagnosis. My bundled file folders aim to mitigate this risk by educating children on safe and unsafe behaviors around water.

The study highlights alarming statistics: the average age at death for individuals with autism is 36 years, compared to 72 years for the general population. Nearly 80 percent of injury-related deaths in children with autism are due to suffocation, asphyxiation, and drowning, with over 40 percent occurring in homes or residential institutions. Given these findings, it's imperative to prioritize interventions that can prevent such tragedies. My file folder bundle is designed to complement swimming lessons, reinforcing safety messages through visual aids and interactive content.

Autistic children are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their peers, emphasizing the need for early intervention. Dr. Guohua Li, a leading expert from Columbia University, stresses the importance of enrolling children in swimming classes immediately after an autism diagnosis. Swimming skills are a critical survival tool for autistic kids, who often have a strong attraction to water. My safety files provide an additional layer of protection by teaching children to recognize and avoid unsafe situations, ensuring they have the knowledge to stay safe.

By offering these File Folders, I hope to make a meaningful impact on the safety and well-being of autistic children. If you’re interested in these vital tools, please explore my Ultimate Safety File Bundle and join me in safeguarding our children’s futures.

The fact is Autistic kids wander, they love water, and they cannot recognize dangerous situations. Each picture I chose in the file folders was selected because I want my son, and your son, to recognize that it is dangerous being near a pool or pond without other people around. Wandering is dangerous. Being alone is dangerous. I created a total of twenty-five (25) real picture file folders. I hope you pick them up, use them at home or in the classroom. Browse over to our Autism File Folders and pick up some of our water safety products.