- A 5-year-old autistic boy recently drowned in a Collier County pond, prompting water safety reminders.
- Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown, and Florida leads the nation in childhood drownings.
- Free home safety evaluations are available through the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
The recent drowning of a 5-year-old autistic boy is a reminder to parents to double down on water safety measures and to use free services in Collier County.
Children on the autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to drown; last year 105 children drowned in Florida, of which 35 were on the spectrum, Paula DiGrigoli, board member of the NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition, said at a press conference Wednesday.
The media event was held in the wake of the drowning of 5-year-old Jaylen Saintelien, who went missing near his family’s residence on Magnolia Pond Circle in Golden Gate on July 26…