Ashley and her diving story

By Dan Barrett

What’s wrong with the world today? Many people might say it’s the lack of communication. When we don’t communicate properly, we have a greater chance of falling into prejudice and error. As divers we know how important good communication is. Potentially large problems are easily handled if we stay in contact with our buddies and have the proper signals ready to indicate any danger.

You may need to repeat a question to Ashley Cox a few times before you get a response. It’s a problem the parents of many 17-year olds experience. With Ashley, however, it’s a bit more pronounced. Ashley is autistic. Sometimes, she can simply become overloaded by her senses.

"She doesn’t like very stimulating environments," her father Tim will tell you. "When she’s in them, she can become overwhelmed. She recedes into herself, and it may take her a while to come back."

As Tim talks about his daughter, there’s a strong pride in his voice. The pride is well-placed. His daughter has done what few people have dared: swim with the sharks. Despite her aversion to sensory overload, Ashley has taken to the water, and diving has become a passion.

Ashley began swimming at a young age. Her parents saw it as a way of helping become more comfortable with her senses. She’d go on to compete in the Special Olympics, and, as her father Tim will tell you, " did quite well."

The opportunity for Ashley to dive came when Tim heard of a Discover SCUBA the Fox Valley Special Rec was holding. As a diver himself, Tim thought the experience would be good for Ashley. He talked to her about it, and they decided to give it a try.

Tim Cox is quick to acknowledge all the time Diveheart volunteers spent with Ashley, taking her around the pool and getting her comfortable in the water. Comfortable enough for Ashley consider taking the plunge when Fox Valley Special Rec took a group down to Florida.

"When she came up from the shark dive with Captain Slate,"Tim says, "she was grinning from ear to ear."

More significant than the adventure she had, however, the trip has provided for Ashley a way of reaching out to others. It has given the girl who has some difficulty communicating a new way to communicate.

"She is so proud of the trip," Tim says. "She shows the DVD to people when they come over, and she always wants to talk about diving. She can show her peers pictures of her doing things they have never done. It has opened up a whole new world for her to communicate, something most with autism don’t have. It has given her a confidence and a willingness to do other things. Getting certified was very important to her. She is proud of her card. "

In April, the entire Cox family is taking a trip to Aruba. Ashley, her father, and her brother, an H.S.A. certified buddy diver, will be diving. There, under the water, swimming among the wrecks of the Caribbean, Ashley will be no different from any other adventurer. Proud of her certification, her equipment, and her experiences, when she emerges from the water, she will have her share of stories to tell. It may take her a bit longer to articulate them, but they will be as inspiring as any told by those who’ve ever taken a dive.