Would you take your family diving if the center was certified in autism?
1,000 parents with a child on the spectrum were asked:
responded “Yes”
What is your child attracted to the most?
responded “Water”
Do you look to physicians or therapists for travel approval?
responded “Yes”
Are you satisfied with current travel options for families with autism?
responded “Yes”
Recent studies have showed the prevalence of drowning incidents is on the rise for those with autism who wander from a safe environment. I applaud the efforts of groups like PADI who are making our loved ones more comfortable in the water with this initiative. – Kerry Magro, Nationally Known Speaker And Autistic Self Advocate
PADI and IBCCES: Helping Your Dive Center Increase Revenue By Serving The Special Needs Market
Autism Facts
$262 billion is spent on autism related services in the US each year.
1 in 44 children has been diagnosed with autism.
ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
ASD has had a 600% increase in diagnoses in the last 20 years
* Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Special Needs Training & Certification
IBCCES works in over 80 countries around the globe to train and certify professionals on how to better serve autistic guests and those with other cognitive disorders. PADI ® has recently teamed up with IBCCES to bring their Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) program to PADI Dive Centers like yours, giving families from all over the world the chance to experience the beauty of diving.
1 in 44 children are diagnosed with autism each year in the U.S. and over 20 million families around the globe have a child with autism. Travel for people with autism is a $262B market, helping make special needs travel the fastest growing segment of the travel industry.
Research has shown that water is the number one affinity for individuals on the autism spectrum, and when these individuals engage in stimulating activities such as diving, swimming, outdoor play and interaction with animals there is a high therapeutic value. In fact, families from all over the globe travel to IBCCES Certified Autism Centers just for the interaction with water.
The Certified Autism Center™(CAC) designation recognizes organizations that have a highly trained staff and go above and beyond to serve the fastest growing population of developmental disorders. Once the certification is complete, IBCCES will help your center market your services to an under-served market of over 20 million families around the globe who have an autistic child.
Featured Certified Autism Centers
First Coast Divers, CAC
PADI #21040
Highly Recommend! This training opened my eyes to a whole new market and also helped me better understand many of our current customers.Dan Mechelke, PADI MSDT #199860
General Manager
Atlantic Pro Divers, CAC
PADI #23563
Last week we had two teenage girls with autism on our weekend dive trip. I wish we had taken this training 2 weeks ago!Bailey Rowland PADI MSDT #340604
General Manager
Your Center Will Receive
- Recognition as an industry leader
- Access to a large under-served market
- An increase in staff confidence
- Partnerships with local hotels and attractions
- Increased trip revenue and retail sales
- Listing on AutismTravel.com
- Framed certificate for display in lobby
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As Seen On
To learn how other PADI dive centers are becoming Certified Autism Centers™ –
and how yours can too
Or Find Out More About Becoming a Certified Autism Center™