$2.9M DoD grant propels Ohio State's AquOTic Lab to forefront of autism and water safety research

A child and swim instructor swimming backwards in a pool. There are other people in the background on the other side of the pool.July 16, 2025
Ava Staudt

Drowning is a leading cause of death for children on the autism spectrum. Now, a $2.9 million grant from the Department of Defense’s Autism Research Program is helping researchers at The Ohio State University’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences change that narrative through a groundbreaking initiative within the AquOTic research lab.

Led by Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP and Jewel Crasta, PhD, OTR/L the AquOTic lab is pioneering a scalable, evidence-based water safety program tailored for children on the autism spectrum. The program integrates sensory, behavioral and motor learning strategies with occupational therapy techniques to teach life-saving swim skills to improve swimming competence and to decrease risk in potential drowning occurrences. 

With this federal support, Ohio State’s initiative is poised to expand its reach and serve as a national model for inclusive aquatic instruction.
“Water competency is a critical step in the circle of drowning prevention,” says Dr. Kemp. “This grant allows us to both scale the intervention and provide training to professional students and community instructors.”

Originally launched as a pilot initiative offering aquatic occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum, the program has since expanded into an evidence-based and manualized water competency intervention. In this setting, expert therapists lead sessions while each child receives individualized support from a graduate therapy student, fostering consistent rapport and trust. Today, and with the help of this grant, the program has evolved even further—serving not only children on the spectrum who are learning essential water safety and competency skills but also training community members from all backgrounds to deliver therapeutic water safety and swim skill instruction.

AquOTic has already seen improved outcomes in not only children’s water competency, but also physical and social improvements outside of the pool. 

“I believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn lifesaving water skills in an environment that understands and respects their unique strengths and challenges,” says Dr. Crasta. “Seeing the data and the strong outcomes fuel our excitement every day”.

Recruitment for instructor training for the next phase of the program begins in September 2025. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to get involved. For more information, contact aquotic@osumc.edu.

Swim Safety Tips for Children with Autism:

  1. Always designate an adult as a water watcher in any aquatic environment, even if the child has good water competency.  
  2. Establish a 'safe word' or signal for the child to know when it is okay to enter the pool.  This will help prevent the child from running straight to the water upon entering the pool facility.
  3. Take advantage of free resources like the American Red Cross Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers course. 
  4. We encourage parents/caregivers to take a community CPR course as well for drowning prevention.

At-Home Water Safety Activities:

  1. Practice bubble blowing in the bathtub with supervision.
  2. Practice back floats in the bathtub with supervision.
  3. Use splash pads or sprinklers in the yard to desensitize children to water play.