Objective: To understand the swimming experience from the perspective of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Methods: We interviewed 12 diverse families using a semi-structured interview with follow-up probing questions related to their swimming experiences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded by researchers. Results: Themes included family water activities, safety, characteristics of ASD, instructional methods, swim skills, swimming preferences, barriers/challenges, and benefits of swimming. Findings indicate positive experiences and skill acquisition were prevalent when instructional methods matched a child’s unique needs. Parents revealed they were more confident in safety as their children’s swimming competence improved. Individualized instructional methods and unique characteristics of ASD may influence perceived safety.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.