After two boys with autism drown, advocates push for free swimming lessons

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two tragic deaths of Minnesota children with autism are getting the attention of state leaders.
This summer, 4-year-old Waeys Mohamed drowned in Hopkins. Mohamed Mohamed, 11, died the same way in Eden Prairie earlier this month. Both boys had autism and eloped, escaped and went missing from their homes.
“How do we ensure that a child is safe, especially if they’re non-verbal and very vulnerable?” said Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, a mother of three children with autism. “I think swimming should be provided for free. It should be a universal thing for all children to learn how to swim.”
Advocates like Hagi-Mohamed brought that idea, and many others, to state lawmakers Tuesday during a meeting that lasted more than two hours.
“All we want to do is make sure these families of children with disabilities and autistic children have fair access [and] services,” said Fatima Molas with the Multicultural Autism Action Network.
Parents at a capitol press conference spoke of a months-long waiting list to receive state services.
They also want help with landlords who can block safety equipment in apartments, such as door locks on the inside to prevent elopements in the first place.
“One in 16 children in the Somali community are diagnosed with autism and often these families don’t know how to navigate the system, don’t speak the language,” said Sen. Zaynab Mohamed (DFL).
Jillian Nelson with the Autism Society of Minnesota has autism herself.
“Our children deserve a future,” she said. “Our children deserve a chance to grow up and be adults.”
The group of parents and advocates is pushing for an official state task force to figure out why autism affects the Somali community at a much higher rate.