Welcome back to the Autism Little Learners Podcast.

Today, I’m joined by two incredible guests—Dayna Harvey, a certified swim instructor who specializes in teaching autistic children, and Andy Roszak, an emergency preparedness expert who has worked with FEMA and the CDC. Together, we’re diving into a topic that’s incredibly important—and honestly, one that doesn’t get talked about enough: water safety for autistic children.

As a speech-language pathologist and someone who’s worked closely with autistic children for over two decades, I’ve seen just how real the risks are. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death for autistic kids, and it’s something we have to bring more awareness to.

In this episode, we’re not just sharing facts and statistics—we’re getting personal and practical. Dayna and Andy offer eye-opening insight and simple, proactive strategies that parents, caregivers, and educators can use right away. We’ll talk about risk assessments, layers of protection, communication tools, and the role of community awareness in preventing tragedies.

My goal with this conversation is to empower you with actionable steps so you can feel more confident and prepared when it comes to water safety. Let’s work together to protect and support our little learners—not just in the classroom, but in every part of their lives.

Bio

Andy Roszak, JD, MPA, EMT-Paramedic is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Childhood Preparedness, where he leads efforts to strengthen emergency planning, disaster recovery, and resilience across early childhood and community-based settings. With more than 20 years of experience in public health, emergency management, and health policy, Andrew has worked at the local, state, federal, and nonprofit levels-supporting initiatives that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises.

Andy is a frequent contributor and subject matter expert for Sesame Street in Communities, where he supports efforts around preparedness, disaster response, and resilience for families and caregivers. A former firefighter, paramedic, and hazardous materials technician, he has also served as a Health Policy Fellow in the U.S. Senate, a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and as a Senior Preparedness Advisor supporting Super Bowl 46 and the Indianapolis 500.

Andy is an award-winning author of the Preparing for the Unexpected book series, and his work has been recognized by organizations including the Red Cross, the City of El Paso, and Sesame Street, where he was named a Sesame Street Hero. His focus is on practical, real-world strategies to help individuals, organizations, and communities be better prepared for whatever challenges may come. Andy is the proud father of two daughters, aged 1 and 4.

Dayna Harvey is a Water Safety and Drowning prevention educator as well as a Swim Lesson Teacher, who specializes in working with children with autism and their parents. She has been teaching swim lessons for the past 35 years and is certified through the Red Cross as well as a program called AutismSwim.

Dayna is on a MISSION to educate and empower parents with information, strategies and hands on tools to help them keep their children safer in and around water because we MUST eradicate childhood drowning. The autism community saw more drownings in 2024 than in any year prior and that has intensified Dayna's commitment to reach more parents with her message and her methods.

Dayna and the Waiting Whale kids, who she created to help engage both parents and children in the education process, have developed the "Where there is water, I will WAIT!" program and The Waiting Whales - Water Safety Kit

Water Safety With Miss Dayna Links:

www.WaterSafetyWithMissDayna.com

www.Facebook.com/WaterSafetyWithMissDayna

www.Instagram.com/WaterSafetyWithMissDayna

Miss Dayna’s Water Safety Kit:

https://watersafetywithmissdayna.com/water-safety-kit

Institute For Childhood Preparedness Links:

https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/

Free Safety-Related Social Stories:

https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/printables

Takeaways

• Drowning is the leading cause of death for autistic children.

• Autistic children are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers.

• 50% of autistic children have a tendency to wander or elope.

• Drowning is not a child problem; it is an adult problem.

• Parents need to be proactive in water safety education.

• Water safety education is different from swimming lessons.

• Visual supports and predictable routines are essential for teaching water safety.

• Community involvement is crucial in preventing drowning incidents.

• Layers of protection are needed with it comes to water safety.

• Teaching children to wait and understand boundaries around water is vital.

• Fear should not prevent families from enjoying water activities; education is key.

You may also be interested in these supports

1. Visual Support Starter Set 

2. Visual Supports Facebook Group

3. Autism Little Learners on Instagram

4. Autism Little Learners on Facebook