Tristian Humes, left, of Prospect and his brother Jacob, 13, play in the pool during a private swim held by the Austim Society of Butler County at ConleyþÄôs Resort on Tuesday.

PENN TWP — A special swim session Tuesday provided some solace for children with autism and their parents.

About 45 local youths took a dip in Conley's Waterpark for the annual swim for autism, hosted by the Butler A.M. Rotary Club and the Autism Society of Butler County.

“These kids during the holidays always need somewhere to go to get out,” said Mary Wildman, secretary for the Autism Society. “There's no school and they're off schedule, so it's good to get them out and do something. They love the water.”

The swim was restricted to children on the autism spectrum and their parents and was closed to the public. The water park, owned by St. Barnabas, has held the swim for free each year for more than 10 years.

“(It's) so we can keep the families together,” Wildman said. “We want the siblings involved, we want the dads involved because mothers seem to be the ones who jump in to handle it.”

The rate for autism and divorce is at about 80 percent, according to the Autism Society of America.

Wildman and her husband Davy, president of the local chapter of the Autism Society, have a 20-year-old son named Nick who has a learning disability. “Everyone needs to be involved,” Wildman said.

“They started a lot of stuff here in Butler County ... and a lot of the things going on for folks who have autistic kids,” said Rotarian Peggy Weckerly. “They became a resource for other families here.”

The swim is always held during the last week of December.

Weckerly said events like these help parents realize they are not alone.

“By being able to get together with other families, they get to know people who have similar concerns,” Weckerly said. “They learn from each other and share a special bond.”

The Autism Society will have other events in 2017 for children and parents to attend, including the annual “Bowling for Autism” scheduled for March 19 at Family Bowlaway, an autism-friendly Easter egg hunt and a trip to Cheeseman Farm in October for a hayride and a visit to a pumpkin patch.

“I believe in the whole family being in the community together,” Wildman said. “They (people with autism) have the right to be in the community just like everyone else.”