Abstract
BackgroundThe reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased markedly in the past two decades. Recent research indicates that children with ASD are at a substantially increased risk of injury mortality, particularly from unintentional drowning. The purpose of this study was to explore the circumstances of fatal unintentional drowning incidents involving children with ASD under 15 years of age.FindingsDuring January 2000 through May 2017, US newspapers reported a total of 23 fatal drowning incidents involving 18 boys and 5 girls with ASD. Age of victims ranged from 3 to 14 years (mean = 7.7 ± 2.9 years). These drowning incidents most commonly occurred in ponds (52.2%), followed by rivers (13.0%), and lakes (13.0%). For 11 incidents with location data available, the distance between victim residence and the water body where drowning occurred averaged 290.7 m (± 231.5 m). About three-quarters (73.3%) of the drowning incidents occurred in the afternoon hours from 12:00 to 18:59. Wandering was the most commonly reported activity that led to drowning, accounting for 73.9% of the incidents.ConclusionsFatal drowning in children with ASD typically occur in water bodies near the victims’ homes in the afternoon hours precipitated by wandering. Multifaceted intervention programs are urgently needed to reduce the excess risk of drowning in children with ASD.
Highlights
The reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased markedly in the past two decades
Fatal drowning in children with ASD typically occur in water bodies near the victims’ homes in the afternoon hours precipitated by wandering
Multifaceted intervention programs are urgently needed to reduce the excess risk of drowning in children with ASD
Summary
The reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased markedly in the past two decades. Recent research indicates that children with ASD are at a substantially increased risk of injury mortality, from unintentional drowning. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disability characterized by repetitive behaviors and impairments in social and communication skills (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Little is known about the long-term health outcomes of people with ASD, research indicates that individuals with this disorder are at up to 10-fold increased risk of premature death compared to the general population (Rice et al, 2016; Gillberg et al, 2010; Mouridsen et al, 2008; Pickett et al, 2011). A recent study provided compelling evidence that compared to the
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