Children with autism are at much higher risk of drowning compared to other children, with drowning being the leading cause of death among children with autism. Accidental drowning may be due to wandering behavior or unsupervised access to water. Given this, we must remain vigilant when in or near water and practice water safety measures at all times. We will review key statistics as well as tips to promote water safety and drowning prevention including the importance of swim instruction, designation of a water watcher and ways to limit unsupervised access to water by use of properly fitted gates and barriers. You will learn ways to engage your children in the process of water safety and by doing so, may help to prevent a tragedy.
About the Presenter
Dr. Tamar Levene is a pediatric surgeon with the Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fl. Dr. Levene completed undergraduate training with a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and stayed at UPenn for her medical training. Following this, Dr. Levene completed general surgery training at Yale-New Haven Hospital and then pursued specialty training in pediatric surgery at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
Dr. Levene has a strong interest in resident and medical student education as well as patient quality and safety. Dr. Levene has been the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) surgeon champion at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital since 2018 and serves on numerous committees to better the care of patients in the healthcare system. She also recently set up a monthly pediatric health and safety series where the community have an opportunity to learn about various safety topics ranging from water safety to sports injuries and concussions to coping with a pandemic and chronic illness. Dr. Levene is deeply committed to community outreach and education and hopes to improve upon the lives of all children! When not working, Dr. Levene enjoys spending time with her husband, three daughters and dog as well as being active with bicycle riding, rock climbing and pilates.