(21 May 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
West Palm Beach, Florida – 2 April 2025
1. Various of kids swimming with instructors at Big Fish Small Fish Swim School
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Wentley, Autism Society of America:
"Swim lessons are important for children with autism and adults with autism because if you look at the incidence rate of drowning, it’s disproportionately high for those with autism."
3. Child in swimming in pool
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Wentley, Autism Society of America:
"So learning to swim is a natural solution."
5. Child with instructors in pool
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jon Burstein, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County:
"In 2024, what we found is of children age five or older who drowned in Florida, 70% were children with autism."
7. Shot of kids jumping into a pool
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jon Burstein, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County:
"And so it’s really eye-opening to consider that of elementary school age children who drown in Florida, the majority are autistic."
9. Wide of pool at Big Fish Small Fish Swim School
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Wentley, Autism Society of America:
"Generally, many people with autism are asked to leave programming or have a bad experience at a pool or learning to swim. Here at Small Fish, Big Fish, they don’t turn away anybody that has autism because they are equipped to meet the needs."
11. Wide of pool at Big Fish Small Fish Swim School
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Wentley, Autism Society of America:
"Small fish, big fish is the first official pilot of the program. They definitely have their feet on the ground and running where they’re teaching most, they’re teach individuals with the highest support needs effectively, efficiently, and meeting their needs whether that be in the pool and outside of the pool."
13. Wide of instructor and child in pool
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Wentley, Autism Society of America:
"We found that many instructors were feeling that they were not equipped to teach the broad spectrum of autism. So creating this program allows us to be able to train instructors how to be equipped to teach all people whether they have high support needs, low support needs or they don’t have autism at all."
15. Wide of instructors with one child in pool
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Taylor, Small Fish Big Fish Swim School:
"So our job as aquatic educators is to make this a fun experience. However, the water is to be respected, it’s all around us, and we need them to learn how, if they fall in a pool, to get back to the wall."
17. Wide of Linsey Corey with child by the pool
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Linsey Corey, parent of swim school student:
"And we tried swim lessons prior and it was very difficult. My son loves the water and he wants to do whatever he wants to do in the water, not so much instruction. Whereas when he piloted the program it was a lot of fun for him and he was able to take away safety techniques."
19. Mid of coaches with kid in pool
20. Cutaway shot of Lovely Chrisostome watching kids
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Lovely Chrisostome, parent of swim school student:
"And when the school called me for this, it was life-changing for me. So I was so happy and grateful that he was qualified to be here. And I would love to know if this can be continued because it’s life changing for kids with autism, definitely."
22. Shot of instructors clapping for child in pool
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Jana D’Agostino, parent of swim school student:
"To take a little bit of a burden off parents to provide this to them is a blessing. It’s truly a blessing."
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