Water Safety and Autism: What Families Need to Know
In this episode, Dr. Molly O'Shea, MD, joins us to discuss the critical importance of water safety for all children, with special attention to the unique considerations for autistic children and other neurodivergent learners. With over 30 years in pediatrics, Dr. O’Shea has spent her career as a speaker, media consultant, journalist, and founder of Birmingham Pediatrics. She is also the official pediatrician and parenting expert of Goldfish Swim School.
Dr. O'Shea shares practical strategies families can use to reduce the risk of drowning, including the importance of active supervision, designated "water watchers," preparation before water activities, and teaching children essential water safety skills early and often.
The conversation also explores the value of swim lessons, why continuous exposure to water helps build confidence and competence, and the risks of relying too heavily on floatation devices. Dr. O'Shea discusses sensory-friendly swim programs, ways to find the right fit for your child, and how swimming can become both a lifelong safety skill and a source of enjoyment.
Tune in for an important conversation that could help save lives.
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Richie Ploesch
Molly, thanks so much for being here. It's a pleasure to have you on this week.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Happy to be here. I always love talking about all things water.
Richie Ploesch
Great, great. I've been thinking about this a lot and we're getting ready for summer and a lot of families are gearing up for summer barbecues and hanging by the pool and all sorts of things, water and water safety. Can you tell us a couple of things kind of to be aware of and then we'll dive into some specifics.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Sure. I think one of the joys of summer is getting to cool ourselves off and enjoy splashing around. And whether you are in a family pool or you're heading to a pool for vacation or a lake or an ocean, that'd be heavenly, it? We all love to be near water. It's beautiful and it's relaxing and it's cooling. It also has a little bit of risk. That's part of the appeal, I imagine, too. And as parents of kids or even as adults, we need to be thinking about how to be safe around water. And if we have our own pools and our own homes, of course, we want to make sure that we have all sorts of safety measures in place, including fences around the pools and having ways to keep younger kids out or even older kids who may not have those water skills out of the pool area. We want to keep all those pool toys and floats and all those attractive things that we normally would enjoy having in the pool. We want to take all of those out of the pool when we're done for the day so that somebody strolling by wouldn't be intrigued and even more interested in trying to go and get those. And if we're using a small pool, like a kiddie pool, let's say, you want to empty it each time, turn it over upside down so that no water remains in the pool or collects of the pool from rain overnight so that a littler kid could get themselves in trouble just from tipping in and not being able to get out. Always staying nearby your kids, keeping your eyes on them when they're in the pool is important because you know, those barbecues, they're usually
filled up with tons of people and it's very easy to get focused on the conversation or the delicious food and take your eyes off the kids who are splashing around in the pool. And that is a risk. So designating somebody to be in charge of watching the kids at all times and trading that responsibility off from one person to another makes it not such a burdensome job for any one person but passing that responsibility off so that somebody's in charge at any given time. And that makes sure all kids are safe.
Richie Ploesch
I think that being around a pool and being around a neighbor's pool and a friend's pool and a cousin's pool, I imagine a lot of individuals are going to be swimming and splashing and playing and all those things. But as you just described, there are also some dangers that happen. And I think one of the things I've always heard and I've heard throughout my career is that a lot of individuals with autism in particular, excuse me, are drawn towards water. And so what you're describing is to make it as uninviting as possible when it's not the appropriate time. I mean, not to make it uninviting. That's not the goal, right? As you said, there are tons of joys, but.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Well, you won't be able to make water uninviting to somebody who is neurodiverse. I'll tell you that right now. If you think about it, water is one of the most intriguing, interesting, you know, and beautiful things we have in nature with the light shimmering on it, with the way that objects look different and the optical ways in which water changes things and the color variation. All of it is going to
Richie Ploesch
Right.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
be just immeasurably attractive. It's really that way to me. yeah, it is. And so if you're someone with autism who is going to find it interesting and then get hyper-focused on that because of its fascinating qualities and the sensory input you're getting from it, the - the auditory input of the sound, the visual input of that water, the nature of the light off the water and the visual optical nature of it, it's gonna be really difficult to even remember all the rules around it. This is why kids with autism are known for all kinds of behaviors that when we try to make sense of them don't make sense.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
think kids know not to run out in the street in traffic, and yet they do when they have autism sometimes, because whatever it is they're running toward has so much power. The attraction of it has so much power, and water is like that. So we aren't going to be able to make water unappealing. So given that truth, what we have to do is create structures and safety measures around the water which make it impossible, frankly, for a kid to get to the water and give the child, him or herself, the skills to navigate the water should they tumble in.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking of this in three main buckets. I'm sure there are more, but I'm thinking about preparing the pool. I'm thinking about preparing the people, the adults that are supervising, and I'm thinking about preparing the individual themselves for what to happen if they end up in the pool. So I want to kind of go into each one of those for a few minutes each, if that's OK. You brought up a couple already about taking toys and floaties out of the pool.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Mm-hmm.
Richie Ploesch
Certainly, I imagine a lot of people are having conversations about putting fences around their pool. And if they're not, hopefully this is the spark for them to start that conversation. But I was surprised to hear you mention emptying the kiddie pool, so to speak, right? So those little ones you fill up in the hose in the backyard that have just a couple of inches in water, those can be dangerous just as well, right?
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah, it's surprising how little water it takes for a child to drown. Just two inches of water is enough for a kid who tumbles in, and especially a small child who's not got all of their motor skills really mastered yet. They tumble in. They are struggling. Let's say part of their body in is part of their body's out, and they're face planted in this shallow water, but they can't get themselves righted in a way to breathe, and that small depth of water is enough to drown them.
Richie Ploesch
That's a fascinating and terrifying statistic that only takes two inches is this big. It's the size of my finger.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah, exactly. It's a very shallow amount of water. so it's incumbent on parents to remember that when we all want to give our kids more freedom, right? And to be out in the yard and playing and doing their thing. And we all want a break sometimes, too. But when water plays involved, it's important to have that be a supervised time with our kids. And then when it's done,
Richie Ploesch
Right.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
to dump it all out, tip the pool over, leave it upside down.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, I think some people are probably thinking, that's ridiculous. That's a lot of extra steps. But the reality is that can be the difference of life and death, unfortunately, and rather be extra prepared.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Ha ha.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
And it is tricky because drowning so quiet, know, drowning isn't like you see in the movies where people are splashing around and waving their arms and making all kinds of noise. Drowning happens in 20 seconds. It's a very short period of time that it takes, you know, and it's silent. you know, you're 20 think about it. 20 seconds is shorter than most TikTok videos, right? It's shorter than most Instagram posts. if you think, I'm just going to check in, just one little check in. And that's all it takes for a horrible accident to occur. Given that fact, think that emphasizes the importance of not allowing yourself the distraction of your own device when you're supervising your kids as well.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, just one little.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
really is that quick.
Richie Ploesch
That is quick and I had never heard that before. That's yeah, interesting. You know, terrifying, but also something for people to be thinking about. And that brings me to kind of the second thing you started talking about, which is how to prepare the people. And you, said something I thought was really interesting. Have multiple people ready to be on deck to be the sort of the rotation, if you will, of who's the lifeguard on duty. Not really, but who's the person who's supervising.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right, right. So we call them water watchers. We call them water watchers. And you know, nobody wants to do that for the whole time, right? Okay. Let's face it. And you'll fatigue from doing it because it's boring. know, kids are really cute and all that, but there's a point at which you're like, okay, I've had enough. And your ability to remain focused on it.
Richie Ploesch
Is that one of the reasons? Okay, water watchers. I like that.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
You you drift and, you know, God forbid you have ADHD too. You know, forget it. You're just done even earlier. So you're going to want to have sort of a system in place. And if you're going to have your friends over and have this barbecue and the whole thing, you know, just create a little, you know, it could be anything. It could be a wooden spoon. It could be an index card. You know, it could be the hamburger flipper, who cares? And you pass it from person to person and you each take turns and you set a timer, 10 minutes, it shouldn't be too long, maybe 15 and say, okay, your turn, you're in charge. And that person really has to keep their eyes on the kids in the pool. And for that time period, that's their job. And if something else happens during that time and somebody's trying to get their attention for some other reason, let's say one of their other children, That's a common scenario, right? They're watching all the kids in the pool and Johnny comes over, dad, I gotta go to the bathroom. And they're like, you know, you know, that's say, go, sorry, you're going to have an accident or go ask, you know, Graham's dad to take you because I, you know, I'm busy right now. Or you hand off the water watcher spatula, you know, to somebody else because your job is that. And-
Richie Ploesch
Gotta go to the bathroom, yeah.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
You have to take it seriously in that way.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah. I also think systems like that work best when you establish it beforehand. Not not in the moment. You know, I'm also thinking of the person who's sitting there and has to they have to use the restroom. They have to go to the bathroom. And all of a sudden they're trying to find somebody to be the the water watcher and they can't find somebody because this person's tied up with that and that person is playing catch and that person's over at the barbecue. And now what? And then they like, just go for a minute. I'll be right back. And that
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah. Right. Right.
Richie Ploesch
- that's a dangerous situation. So having multiple people or having the system outlined ahead of time is really important.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right. Yeah, so I've seen systems done in variety of different ways. So sometimes when people arrive, they put their names on the signup list, and that's your order. And then the signup list is taped to whatever it is that gets passed. And so you just cross your name off as you go, and that way you know who you're handing it off to next. The other way I've seen it done is that when people get there, They they have to if you're there late if you're the latest to arrive Then you don't get a choice and where you signed up, you know And you get put in all the like the bad spots like you're the dinner water watcher, you know and so people the host will basically give out like rank order numbers you get to pick first second third fourth fit whatever and then before really the party gets underway and anybody gets in the pool the water watcher thing is filled out and it's kind of
Richie Ploesch
Hahaha
Yeah.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
That is sort of almost like a white elephant way to do it, right? So if you came here first, guess what? You get to pick your spots first. And that's another way people have done it.
Richie Ploesch
think that's an interest. That's a really interesting thought, Molly, because what you're really talking about is. Creating a culture of safety and oversight, not not overbearing. That's not it, but a culture of we're all going to share in the safety and stability for all of our students, all of our sons and daughters, all of our nieces and nephews, as opposed to having the one person who's on deck, who's sitting there, you know, the lifeguard, so to speak, who's there the entire time?
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
No.
Richie Ploesch
who can't get distracted, who isn't enjoying the party at all, and is just focused on what's happening in the pool or whatever the water is.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Well, and you know, there's always that one family member, that one parent in the group who's like the safety parent, you know, whose kid comes to school and has like every elbow pad and like, you know, gear on and all they're doing is like walking to school, right? And so sometimes, you know, you feel like you've become that parent or that.
Richie Ploesch
Right. Great.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
person when you're saying, we're going to do the water watcher thing. But I think that by trying to turn it into something that's fun and saying, look, you can think what you want, but these kids are on our watch here. And it's our pool. And their safety is my concern. And I know it's your concern too. So this is how we're doing it. And we're going to try to make it fun here's, doing this numbering thing. And, you know, if you catch anybody not doing their job, then they get to take your shift, you know, or whatever. You just turn it into a game in some way. And I do think deep down, even parents who are more the, kind of more relaxed parents when it comes to safety things will, will be on board and it's not an onerous task to take one 10 minute shift while you're there.
Richie Ploesch
Right, right. So we talked about the pool and some ways to keep that part safe. We've talked about some of the systems. What about the individual? What about the individual with autism or who other neurodivergencies? What are ways we can prepare them for either being in the pool safely or falling in the pool? God forbid or something like that.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
I think that first of all, know, taking swim lessons, know, and learning water safety skills reduces the risk of drowning by 88%. I mean, that's a hugely powerful relationship. The challenge is that kids, kids with autism or sensory differences really have challenges when they're younger in
Richie Ploesch
Yeah. Wow.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
entering into a swim class, right? Experiencing that environment of swim lessons, all of it, because of the intensity of that sensory experience. It's in a new place, they have to get wet, they're gonna go underwater, it's gonna be echoey. There's all kinds of reasons why the experience of swim lessons may be challenging.
Richie Ploesch
Mm-hmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
it will induce anxiety often for a neurotypical kid too, right? You know, it's a new experience, all this stuff. parents of kids who are, and kids often when they're younger, let's say 18 months, a year, you know, when a lot of parents are thinking about starting swim lessons, they might not have a known condition at this point, but they understand that their child is sensitive. They understand that their child is, you know, just experiencing the world in a different way. the parental instinct is to kind of hold your child close, right? Don't make them experience this difficulty, you know, right? That's our nature.
Richie Ploesch
We want them to have an enjoyable childhood. We want them to have fun.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah, we don't want to just voluntarily put them in an environment that we know will be challenging for them when we think or we feel that that's optional. Well, I guess I'm here to tell you it's not really optional because the risk of drowning, it's the number one cause of death for children between the ages of one and four. So understanding that reality,
Richie Ploesch
Wait, can you say that again? It's the number, I wanna hear that again.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
yes. So for children between the ages of one and four, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death.
Richie Ploesch
Wow, I didn't know that.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah So even though children who are experiencing the world in a different way because they're just they're built differently. It is essential, and we'll talk about why it's even more essential, but it is essential that they get on board and experience swim lessons and build those water safety skills. They are significantly more likely, actually, than a neurotypical child to drown because of their fascination with water. And they're drawn to it. And so having those water safety skills and building those water safety skills from an early age is so important.
Richie Ploesch
In my mind, I'm thinking of, I'm thinking of the pools that I swim at the most. And it's, it was my aunt's pool growing up and it's my sister's pool now and they're fenced and they're, have some of those things, but I'm also thinking about all across the country. People are going to the lake house or the friend's house or the beach or all of these different places and they may not have those same safety setups.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right, or you go on vacation at an Airbnb, all these things that people do now. And as a result, you bring your child, and you want to have this fantastic vacation, of course. And I think parents who have sensory overstimulated, kids who easily get overstimulated in sensory environments are even more likely, perhaps, to choose an Airbnb environment, let's say.
Richie Ploesch
Right. Yes.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
then some big hotel or resort or whatever. so the likelihood that an Airbnb is going to have the same kind of safety measures around their pool that a hotel or resort might have is small. And then that risk is therefore even higher. Kids with autism really, even though I understand that overcoming those barriers as a parent in how, you know, helping your child overcome those barriers too, and getting them in those swim lessons is so important so that they can have that continuous exposure, build those skills, keep them continuously reinforced so that when they do have the opportunity to be, you know, near water and not just vacation type water, but even bathtubs you know, you know, kiddie pools, like we just talked about, they will have what they need to keep themselves safe. Should something, you know, untoward occur.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, I'm thinking about the parent that you mentioned that maybe a little bit more lacks with some of their safety rules and a little bit of the, you know, the parent who's like, I just throw them in the jacuzzi and they'll sort it out. Right. Or or the the other thing I've heard, which is we'll just throw some floaties on and then they can hang out. And your your face changed when I said that. But that's something that I've heard and I'm sure you've heard before to tell us. Tell us why that's not a great idea.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Well, if you're going to throw something on, throw on a Coast Guard life jacket. So floaties, so water wings or floaties, like a pool ring around the waist, those are not water safety devices at all. So floaties that go on your arms actually put your child in the drowning position, believe it or not. So the drowning position is head up.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
feet down and your child is more likely actually to tip forward and have more difficulty. they, you you feel like those are, those are so cute and blah, blah, blah. They're really not a good choice. Swap them out for a Coast Guard approved life jacket. Even if your child has a Coast Guard approved life jacket on though, I would still not leave my kid on their own in the pool, you know, just I don't know. a little bit, I'm not safety mom, like in the crazy way, but I am about water. I am about water. I'm not about other things. Like my kids, when they were like four and five years old, were climbing to the top of trees, you know, and doing all kinds of stuff. But when it came to water, was very, I had a healthy respect for water and its power over us and its ability to do, and part of it is that Other kinds of things kids do, their bodies will, and their proprioception, their ability to sense their body in space, will tell them when they should stop. So whether we're watching them, and actually even more so when we're not, if let's say they're climbing up some rock wall at the playground, or they're climbing a tree,
Richie Ploesch
Mmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
They can sense, is this branch strong? Can I do this next thing? And they will stop when they sense the limit. Yes, exactly, exactly. Water, because of its buoyancy and because of the
Richie Ploesch
The internal bells and whistles go off, right? Yeah.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
also the optical illusion that it creates with your body and limbs in the water, kids don't have that same experience with it. So they often jump in because they think it's shallower when it's not as shallow as they think and find themselves head under when they don't expect to be. it's very different experience in all ways.
They're out in, if it's a lake or ocean, they're out in waves that they think are gentle when there's an undertow and they can't, they don't understand or can't successfully fight against it. So water is different. It is different.
Richie Ploesch
And it, and as you mentioned, the beauty and the power of it is something you can't always see. I w we were at the beach over the weekend and the lifeguard came out and said, there's a rip current here. Everybody moved that way. And I, you know, we're on the side, you know, we're on the shore and we're watching and we're enjoying, we're seeing our kids are all safe. And, but I couldn't see that rip curve. There's no way that I could have told, could tell where I, from where I was sitting, that that's what was happening.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Well, I'm lucky you had a lifeguard to guide you. mean, a lot of places are no lifeguards on the beach anyway. You're just, you know, you're at a private beach or there just happens to be an area there are no lifeguards. And so you're left to your own devices. And I would know a rip. You know, I would, I would be able to tell. So it's, um, yeah, water is, it's, it's really majestic and powerful and to be respected.
Richie Ploesch
Right. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm thinking again about the the culture of safety and how you do that. And so one of the things that we've done is we serve the snacks next to the pool. So then. So then if you want snacks, great, they're right here. And while you're here, sit and enjoy and also keep an eye on the kids who are saying, watch me, watch me and watch all the different ways they dive into the pool and all those other things. And so.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
that's smart. Yeah.
Richie Ploesch
I think there are some things that people can do that can go a long way, but, I want to go back to something that you mentioned before and the importance of water safety. And I'm thinking about a family, who maybe tried swim lessons last year and it didn't go so well. And they sort of made it through the summer and now their child is a little bit older and they're not sure if they should revisit those lessons or not. What would you say to that parent? and how would you coach them through that moment?
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
think that kids mature, of course, as they get older. And I think as parents, we often underestimate what our kids are capable of. And as such, we close off opportunities for our children instead of opening opportunities for them. And the fact that they had had a difficult experience previously doesn't automatically mean that it will be the same again, especially if time has passed, kind of like if a child enters preschool and the first month or so of drop off is difficult for a kid at preschool. And if you took that as your guide, you might say, oh, I might have to take my kid out of preschool. Well, no, you don't. You stick with it and you keep going and you help your child adjust because you know preschool is so important. And in the same way, life skills like water safety are that important. So if the experience your child had the previous time was really difficult, then it may be important to think about what elements of that were the pain points? Was it the temperature of the water? Was it the loudness in the environment? Was it the specific instructor? Was it the number of kids in the class? Was it the time of day in relationship to a meal or to a nap? And try to figure out, is there something that could be adjusted that might make it a more successful experience going forward. And then if you can adjust those elements, great. If you can't pinpoint something specific and you look at it you know it was just like, boy, just anxious, didn't like it, doesn't, you know, whatever, then I think and you've had the opportunity to continue to have swim experiences over, let's say, the summer, you've done what I call a little bit of exposure therapy. You've had these experiences in the water that weren't negative, presumably, and so your child may be in a different place. And by coaching your child in anticipation of the swim lessons with reminders of their
Richie Ploesch
Mm-hmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
of their ability, their bravery, their successes, their capabilities in heading into those next swim lessons, it does help create an environment where they may feel more prepared to take that next step in a structured setting.
Richie Ploesch
Mm. Yeah, I like that list, right? All those things are important and all those things factor into it for any of us.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Of course. And some places, some swim schools have lessons that are specifically geared to kids who are sensory sensitive. And if you can find those lessons, take them. Because they'll be done at a time of day that's quiet. They'll be done with many fewer kids in the class. They'll be done with at Goldfish, which is the swim school that I'm associated with, the lessons are actually different. They're designed to be sensory friendly, to be less sensory intense for the child so that those water safety skills are introduced in a way that is more sensory gentle. And as a result, it is better accepted by the child and the child can continue to grow and gain confidence both in the water and in their skills.
Richie Ploesch
I'm glad you brought up the school and I'm curious about exactly what you mentioned. Can you give us a couple of examples of how, how the goldfish swim school is adapting some of the, what they would maybe traditionally teach for individuals with, special needs or neurodivergences or some of the ways you mentioned that there, that it's easier for them to access.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
So in the Golden Learners Program, and that's the name of the program that is designed for kids who need a more gentle sensory experience, the swim school will take the elements of water safety and kind of water familiarity, all of those elements, and do them over a longer period of time. like I mentioned before, with
Richie Ploesch
Mm-hmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
fewer students. And so let's say one of those skills is to get familiar with the feeling of water on your head, just water on your head, you know, as you're sitting in the, in the water yourself. So in a typical swim school classroom or swim school classroom in a swim school experience, you might do that with your parents still. These might all be with parents, let's say, because these are younger kids. You're in the pool with your parent. Your parent is holding you in the typical thing. And the parent may just pick up a cup of some type and kind of put it over your head and all that. In the sensory friendly experience of the golden learners, there could be two different ways in which to do it. It could still be the parent holding if that's what the child prefers. And instead, it could be feathers with water sprinkling over the head instead of a cup dumping over the top, OK? Or it could be that the child gets to sit instead on like a little raft, you know, like a little raft so that if it's too much to be both held and sprinkled, then you could be on a raft instead and be sprinkled so that you can. So there are a variety of different ways in order to accommodate what that child sensory needs are. And then as that kind of as the child gets to enjoy that, then you move on to a little bit more of that sensation of having water on your head. And then you move to having whatever, move to water on your body. But that's kind of a small example of how you can move away from that more kind of intense experience of just having kind of a, they might use a.
Richie Ploesch
big bucket of water dumped on your head.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right, exactly. Right. And move into something that's a much less intense experience.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, I'm thinking about the lessons that my kids took. This was years ago and it was jumping the pool and hold on to the side and then it was swim to the instructor and then swim back and then it was, you know, do a few different and it was just the practice of it. But even just that jump in the pool is could be a sensory overload for an individual or being in the water all the way could be sensory overload for some of our.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right, right. Right. So for those kids who are a little bit older, it may start by sitting on the side of the pool and putting your feet in. And then that may be the beginning. then they'll have, they have characters, Goldfish has characters. So, you know, they might have one of the little characters, the Goldfish characters.
Richie Ploesch
Mm-hmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
that they have and the goldfish character might come up and put water on your knees. it's a gradual process of acclimation so that it's a more friendly experience. Putting goggles on, that's a really intense sensory experience for kids with autism. They're tight, they go around your head. And for many kids, especially those who don't wear glasses or have any other experience like that,
Richie Ploesch
Mmm.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
And so the kids get to practice that in a variety of ways because they do like the kids to wear goggles before they start putting their head under, get them used to the idea that that's going to be part of the experience of swimming. And so the kids have a choice. can put them on their head. They can put them around their neck like a necklace. They can hold them in their hand. And you gradually get to the point where they're wearing them.
Richie Ploesch
I didn't even think about that. wasn't even goggles didn't even occur to me. But now I'm thinking of the swim shorts that I've all worn. I'll have a terrible tag in the back that is never comfortable. And if you wear a, you know, a rash guard or a shirt, like very often it's tight fitting and sure it may help with sunburns and other things, but it that's not, it's not necessarily, it may not be comfortable either.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yes.
Richie Ploesch
And now that you've mentioned that, I'm thinking of all the different ways that swimming can be physically overwhelming before you even really get in the pool.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Right, right. And so that's part of the challenge, think, for it. So as a parent of a kid who's experiencing the world differently, you might not have even gotten a diagnosis yet, right? And you think, do I really want my kid to have to go through all this? And I'm here to tell you, you do, because the risk is so high. And if it weren't, I would say, forget it This is not worth it. But if drowning is the number one risk of accidental death in kids this age, and swim lessons can reduce that risk by 88%, as difficult as it is, it's essential to do this. It's very much like the kind of growing pains that is the separation of preschool You know, it can be hard to do both as a parent and a kid, but you grow from it and you gain confidence from it. it is, both the parent and the child really gain from it.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah. And I'm also thinking about this is one of those, this is a skill that's a lifelong skill, right? I, I enjoy swimming now. I won't say my age. I enjoy swimming now a little bit older than when I was, you know, than when I was a kid, but as a kid, I loved swimming. so to, yeah, right.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
I did too, yeah, and I still swim too. I live in Michigan and let me tell you, you cannot swim year round here in Michigan and yet I have a pool that I can swim year round in at my home. So yes, I love to swim, yes.
Richie Ploesch
That's amazing. Yeah, but I, you know, imagine depriving yourself of that because it was really hard to take swim lessons when you were younger. Right. And I just think it would be, I think of it both from a safety perspective, but also from a joy perspective and the amount of times that you can go on vacation to different places and you can get the Airbnb with the pool because you don't have to worry about it and how much it can bring families together.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah one and pair that hand in hand with the attraction of water. So it's a really great hump to get over because you know your child's going to be in love with the idea of water. as hard as that hump is to get over, it's worth it.
Richie Ploesch
Right, right, right. it's worth it. Molly, are there any things that you would like to share with the families as they're getting ready to enjoy summer hopefully and be engaged with water in different ways than they were maybe during the school year or leading up to this moment? Any last words of advice for them?
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah, think that one thing that sometimes parents don't really realize is that as you're learning water safety skills and then swimming skills, it's not a one and done situation. It is a continuous learning situation. And the example I like to give is, you know, I really do know a lot of dance moves and line dance moves.
Richie Ploesch
Hmm
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
And when I go to these events, you know, and the song comes on and I'm ready to get out there, woo, yeah. You know, but it takes me a verse, right? To get back in the groove and like get every little thing right. When it comes to water safety, you don't have a whole verse to like get those actions back in place. So continuously reinforcing rem-
Richie Ploesch
That sounds like an extra episode from what I'm hearing.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
you know, and getting them so they are literally automatic is essential. And the only way to do that is repetition and continuous learning. having your child remain in swim lessons throughout the year, throughout their early childhood, and, you know, and really integrate school can help solidify that skill set to provide them that absolute automatic, I can do it when I'm 50 or I can do it today. And that gives you the confidence as a parent that you've provided your child that safety net that they need.
Richie Ploesch
Yeah, thank you, Molly, so much. That was so important for us as we get ready for the season, so important for us as we think about future, so important for us as we think about the respect between the beauty of water and the power of it that can come with it. So we appreciate your time and your insight today. Thank you so much.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Yeah, happy to be here. Enjoy the summer.
Richie Ploesch
Thank you, we will, you too.
Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP
Thanks.
Water Safety and Autism: What Families Need to Know
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