Ireland's first surfing camp for children with autism takes place this month. Surf 2 Heal brings a special water therapy experience to children and their parents, writes Sharon Ní Chonchúir
OUT ON THE ocean, a small figure rises hesitantly to her feet. She lurches forward as she stumbles but quickly corrects her balance, catches a wave and surfs its crest to shore.
Back on Garretstown Beach near Kinsale, Co Cork, this girl - who is usually so debilitated by shyness that she averts her eyes and avoids attempts at communication - is brimful of pride and excitement. She instantly demands to be brought out surfing again.
Such enthusiasm is unusual for 10-year-old Ailís Ward, who has autism. Her mother Alicia, who has been watching her progress from the beach, is overjoyed.
"Surfing helps Ailís without her even knowing it," she says. "It improves her spatial and body awareness, her strength and her confidence. For her to realise that she can conquer some of her difficulties on a surfboard makes her realise that she can conquer them full stop. As a result, she'll be more willing to try other things in future."
There are parents all over Ireland who would love to teach their autistic children this very lesson. This summer, they may get the opportunity when Ireland's first surfing camp for children with autism takes place in Garretstown from August 25th to 29th.
Called Surf 2 Heal, this is a project that began the moment five-year-old Seán Casey first dipped his toes in the ocean. Seán - who has autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and is non-verbal - adores the water.
"Autistic children often either love or hate it," says his mother, Nollaig. "Seán was always a water baby."
Living close to the beach in Garretstown, Nollaig noticed early on that Seán liked being by the sea. "His heightened senses make the world a frightening place for him," she explains.
"He can be startled by sounds I've hardly even heard. On the beach, there are no loud noises, no crowds and, as a result, it feels safe."
Since making this discovery, Seán and Nollaig have spent lots of time on the beach, both in and out of the water. But it wasn't until last year, when she came across an article about how surfing was
proving therapeutic for autistic children in America that Nollaig thought to try it with Seán.
"As a mother, you'll knock on any door you think might open," she says. "So I approached
Jon Hynes - the local surf instructor - and asked him to teach Seán."
She chose the right man. Hynes has spent 17 years working in outdoor sports and the past four running his surfing school in Garretstown. He has also worked with people with special needs.
ON A WINTRY February afternoon last year, he and Seán ventured into the water. Before long, it was clear that Seán was benefiting from the experience.
"He found it relaxing," says Nollaig. "Don't get me wrong. Surfing is not a cure; it's therapy for him." Hynes, too, noticed a difference. "Seán calms down and gets rid of huge amounts of energy that would take ages to get rid of at home," he says.
Following his success with Seán, Hynes started to work with other autistic children in the area, one of whom was Ailís. Eventually, realising that surfing could be of help to many more, he decided to run a camp this summer. He started by setting up a website - www.surf2heal.com- appealing for volunteers.
The response was swift and soon he had a list of 25 surf instructors willing to take part. Next, he and Nollaig enrolled Seán in a camp being run by an American group, Surfers Healing, in Mexico last May. Seán was accompanied by Nollaig, and Hynes went along as a volunteer.
"It was a vital learning experience for us," says Hynes. "We had some incredible highs as well as some very challenging lows."
One of the most important lessons they learned on the camp was the importance of paying attention to the child's needs. At times in Mexico, Seán was too tired to surf. At other times, he was too hyperactive. And often, he was too overwhelmed by the sensory overload of a new place and new
people.
"It's important to let them lead the way," says Nollaig. "All we do is encourage them to enjoy the beach and the water. That's enough. There's no need to push anything else."
Hynes couldn't agree more. "Surf 2 Heal is about more than surfing," he says. "It doesn't matter if the kids are on a body board, in a kayak or just splashing around in the water; if they are having fun, gaining confidence and building relationships with other people, then we're doing our job."
In Mexico, Hynes also learned about the logistics of organising such an event. He saw the types of board that were used and these inspired his own design - 12-foot boards that are long enough to fit an instructor and a child and soft enough to minimise injury in the event of a fall.
He observed the teaching methods, which he has since passed on to his team of volunteers here in Ireland. Finally, he also saw how the volunteers were organised — or disorganised, as he would have it.
"The kids just showed up on the day and the volunteers dealt with them as best they could,"
he remembers. "They weren't prepared and that's not my way."
His way involved putting together a detailed booking form that asks questions about the child's specific learning channels, their water skills, diet and more. "These are important questions and the answers will allow me to match the children with the volunteers that best suit them," says Hynes. "That way, we'll be more targeted and effective in our work."
This is certainly what he's hoping for when he and his volunteers lead more than 40 children into the sea this August. So far, 32 boys and eight girls from all over Ireland and aged between four and 18 have enrolled in the camp. This is what they and their families can expect. They will arrive in Garretstown on August 24th. That evening, parents will meet with volunteers to discuss the coming week and any particular issues their children might have.
Then, starting on Monday, every child will be given an hour and a half's surfing tuition every day for five days. At the end of the week, there will be a presentation ceremony and a celebratory barbecue.
Hynes is hopeful it won't end there. "I want to take this further," he says. "I'm not promising everyone a life-altering experience but I've seen that surfing can help some children with autism. "I'd like this to be an ongoing thing, where children can build up relationships and make improvements in the longer term."
HE INTENDS TO offer regular lessons and run more camps in future. But for now, he is simply hopeful that Ireland's first ever surfing camp for autistic children will be a success. "I'll be interested to see what it achieves," he says. "Will it just be a laugh or will it bring about real change?"
Whatever the case, surfing has already brought tangible benefits to Seán and Ailís, both of whom will be taking part in the camp. "Ailís's younger brother, who is eight, surfs and it's great for her to be able to do something he can do," says Ailís's mother Alicia.
"It's great for her to be involved in sports altogether. It can be hard to get autistic children to participate because they don't like team sports. Surfing is something she can do for and by herself and it really helps her," she says.
Seán's mother Nollaig is just as full in her praise. "There is nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come," she says. "This may not be a completely new idea but it's new to Ireland and we need to make Irish parents aware of it."
For further information, see www.surf2heal.com