A Jacksonville family is mourning the death of a 3-year-old boy with autism whose body was found in a body of water near an Orlando-area resort Thursday.
Sheriff’s deputies confirmed the toddler, identified as Rakim Akbari, had autism and wandered from a resort on Palm Village Circle, near State Road 535 and World Center Drive.A family friend told News4JAX that Akbari was vacationing with his father when he wandered away.completed in April found since Jan. 1, 2021, at least 63 children with autism or children suspected of having autism have drowned in Florida . The number has increased in the months since the study.
“Children with autism seem to be infatuated with the ripples in water, the smell of water, even,” Othmer said. “Everything that has to do with water more than their neuro-typical peers do.” Othmer said it’s always a good time to remind parents that it’s never too early to enroll your child in swim lessons.
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