FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – A Houston mother, Hope Montgomery said she knows the danger of water all too well — and she’s not taking any chances with her three daughters. Montgomery is the mother of triplets Lakin, Londyn and Lauren, all have autism.
Despite the challenges that can come with the diagnosis, she says that hasn’t stopped her daughters from diving into summer fun.
But for Montgomery, fun always comes with a close eye.
“We were at a friend’s house and one of my daughters literally just jumped in,” said Montgomery. “You know, she had been, we had the swimming lessons, and I literally ran to the edge of the water and I was about to jump in and I seen her come up and she started doing her little float — but it scared me.”
Montgomery said her heart dropped in that moment — and it reinforced just how critical water safety awareness is for families in the autism community.
“Yeah. So to know that the drownings that we’ve been having with the autism community — you can never get comfortable,” said Montgomery.
Starting with the basics
For families who are newly navigating an autism diagnosis, water safety may not be the first thing on their minds — and Montgomery understands that.
“Truth be told, when you first get the diagnosis of autism, you’re not thinking about, oh, I need to get swimming lessons, right? You’re trying to figure autism out,” said Montgomery. “Having your village around you, making sure that your children are acclimating and know how to swim is key. You got to make sure your house is safe. You also have to make sure that your community is aware. Let them know that your child is on the spectrum.”
Why water poses unique risks
Hope for Three, an advocacy group for autism, says people with autism tend to be drawn to water — making supervision and prevention even more critical.
Darla Farmer, CEO of Hope for Three, shared several strategies parents can put into place immediately.
“Number one, they could create visuals of bodies of water, of a pool, of a lake, and use those visuals to tell a story of how they do not go without mom or dad or how they stay away and can only view,” said Farmer. “Of course, locks on the doors are always a vital part of keeping our children safe, but we also want to place them out of reach from the children. We don’t want them to necessarily be at the child’s level or eye level.”
Montgomery echoed that message with a simple but powerful reminder.
“Never get comfortable with autism and water. Be very vigilant around it,” said Montgomery.
Resources for families
Hope for Three offers a number of resources for families, including tracking bracelets that can be placed on children and access to free swimming lessons.