Staying Afloat: A Scoping Review of the Literature on Adapted Swim Instruction

Importance Individuals with disabilities may require adaptations and modifications during swimming instruction. Objective The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on adapted swim instruction including the following: (1) identifying adapted swim strategies; (2) determining which populations have received adapted swim instruction; and (3) identifying gaps in the research. Data Sources Six databases were searched for records published on or before September 29, 2025, including: PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), SportDiscus, Web of Science, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). Study Selection and Data Collection Studies were included in this review if they were peer-reviewed, written in English, focused on beginner swimming skill instruction, included participants with disabilities and/or instructors/caregivers of individuals with disabilities, and consisted of original research studies. Studies were excluded if they were not peer-reviewed, not written in English, or not focused on beginning swim instruction. Findings Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria and described interventions for individuals with disabilities. Studies discussed 26 adaptive strategies utilized for swimming instruction. Two studies were Oxford Level 2 studies, indicating randomized-controlled trials and definitive observational studies. Conclusions and Relevance There is a lack of robust, high-quality studies on adapted swim instruction, indicating a need for future studies to strengthen the evidence base.