The American Academy of Pediatrics’ updated drowning prevention guidance reinforces many of the practices swim schools have long championed while also highlighting important areas for future growth and research across the aquatic industry.
Key updates relevant to swim schools and aquatic providers include:
• “Recommend aquatic experiences for infants with a parent and swimming lessons for children after their first birthday.”
• Recognizing that “water competency is a family affair”
• Emphasizing that swim lessons should include parent education and engagement
• Acknowledging that swim competency and survival skills require multiple lessons over time and that children may need refresher swim classes as they grow and encounter new aquatic environments
• Encouraging parent education that helps families understand the need for continued instruction until children demonstrate survival skills in different aquatic settings
• Recommending inclusion of life jacket competency assessment as a critical component of water competency curricula
• Highlighting the need for future research to determine the most effective methods of teaching swimming and water safety skills
• Noting that there is currently no standardized swim school curriculum that addresses the full set of water competencies
• Recommending program considerations for young children that include attention to clothing worn during lessons and limiting the number of submersions
Together, the updated AAP Policy Statement and Technical Report reinforce the importance of comprehensive water competency, layered drowning prevention, family engagement, and equitable access to aquatic education.
Read the Full Reports:
- AAP Policy Statement: Prevention of Drowning in Children
- AAP Technical Report: Prevention of Drowning in Children
