ORLANDO, Fla. – Above the Wake, a nonprofit aimed at creating positive experiences on the water for children with autism, held its annual autism awareness event in Orlando over the weekend.
The volunteer-based organization hosted 50 children at the Orlando Water Sports complex.
Organizer Tom Hart said his Cable4ACause event focuses on introducing children affected by ASD and other developmental disorders to water sports.
Participants learned to wakeboard, kneeboard and use the water park’s aqua obstacle course.
Aquatic water therapy has shown promising results in providing therapeutic benefits to those with sensory and development disorders, according to published research.
Autism diagnoses rates in children are on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2000 to 2016, diagnoses in children have tripled.
One in 36 children have been identified with ASD in the United States.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screenings in all children 18 to 24 months old.
For more information on the event, click here.
You can also take a free online autism screening test (M-CHAT-R) to determine autism in toddlers here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: