Munn Emily E, Ruby Lisa, Pangelinan Melissa M
School of Kinesiology, College of Education, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
iCan Shine, Paoli, PA 19301, USA.
J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 26;10(23):5557. doi: 10.3390/jcm10235557.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children and teenagers. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for drowning. Improvements in swim skills have been observed in children with ASD participating in learn-to-swim programs. However, it is unclear if age, co-occurring conditions, and/or the dose of practice influence swim skills in this population. To this end, a secondary data analysis of iCan Swim program data was conducted to determine the efficacy of the 5-day adapted learn-to-swim program for a cohort of children with ASD ages 3-16 years ( = 86). Participant swim level was evaluated at the start and end of the program. Linear mixed-effects regression was used to examine the effects of Time (start/end), Age, Dose of Swim Practice (i.e., total time-time out of the water), and ADHD status on the overall swim level. Participants significantly increased the swim level from the beginning to the end of the program (B = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.52-0.74), and participants with ASD and co-occurring ADHD had greater swim levels regardless of Time than those without ADHD (B = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.05-0.84). Overall, iCan Swim is effective in improving the swim skills of children and teenagers with ASD.
溺水是儿童和青少年死亡的主要原因之一。患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的个体溺水风险增加。参加游泳学习项目的ASD儿童的游泳技能有了提高。然而，年龄、并发疾病和/或练习量是否会影响该人群的游泳技能尚不清楚。为此，对“我会游泳”项目的数据进行了二次数据分析，以确定为期5天的适应性游泳学习项目对一组3至16岁ASD儿童（n = 86）的效果。在项目开始和结束时评估参与者的游泳水平。使用线性混合效应回归来检验时间（开始/结束）、年龄、游泳练习量（即水中总时长）和多动症状态对整体游泳水平的影响。参与者在项目开始到结束时游泳水平显著提高（B = 0.63，95%置信区间 = 0.52 - 0.74），患有ASD且并发多动症的参与者无论时间如何，其游泳水平都高于没有多动症的参与者（B = 0.45，95%置信区间 = 0.05 - 0.84）。总体而言，“我会游泳”项目在提高ASD儿童和青少年的游泳技能方面是有效的。
