Skip to main content
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 30 July 2018
Image: Inclusive Surfing event in Chennai for autistic and other disabled youngsters

Chinnappa Mathanda, a parent of a child with special needs and one of the people behind aSpecialWorld talks to PatientsEngage on the amazing experience of youth on the autism spectrum riding the waves in Chennai. Don't miss the videos below

1. Tell us how and why you thought of getting kids with autism to go surfing

I came across some really exciting videos of children with special needs, not just autistic children, learning surfing in the US. This sowed the idea in our minds.

2. How did you go about finding surfing coaches (its not as if there are too many options in India)?

Luckily Chennai had quite a developed surfing community by Indian standards. So it was more about taking the initiative and getting in touch. We met a couple of schools before deciding on the one we are working with presently.

3. What were the considerations - age profile, times, language, group size, verbal/non-verbal, etc.

Everyone we met was very open to working with our kids. I guess the surfing world is very chilled out in accepting diversity. We chose this school for several reasons: The distance to the breaking point of the waves was the shortest; the sea was quite shallow even at this point making it safer too; they had a built up space where the parents could hang out while the children surfed.

When it came to negotiating a special rate deciding to go on a non-peak weekday made a difference.

4. Did you have challenges convincing parents to join? 

Most parents seem excited by the idea. Cost and maybe to some extent the commute was a dampener. As well as it being on a weekday – for those whose children are in schools.

5. Tell us about the first day - if there were any incidents or moments that struck you. 

The first surfing lesson is an instruction session on the beach, safety instructions, how to jump on the board, etc. This of course had to be kept short for our kids.

An interesting observation was to see the parents over-briefing the trainers on the child’s fears, etc. The trainers however had only one question – are they verbal or not. From there they took over completely – their confidence seemed to rub off on the children who appeared fearless amidst the waves.

6. Did all the youngsters enjoy the activity? What has been the progress? What surprised you in terms of adapting to the activity?   

Most kids had a great time. No one was forced into the water. The school was flexible enough to say they would charge only for those who surfed. Here one early observation is that the autistic kids who are deemed 'high-performing' were apprehensive and dropped out.

Some determined parents kept going regularly and have seen immense improvement:

So we have one kid who developed his own style of kneeling on the board and slowly graduated to standing. We also found surf boards and the beach starting to feature in his artwork too. Clearly, it had touched him in a deep way.

In another instance, a mother took the child’s OT teacher along to help out and this too worked out well. And that child started loving the beach and the whole lifestyle aspect of it.

7. What was the learning of the coaching team?

The coaching team is very interesting here. They are people from the local fishing village who were taught surfing by tourists and well-wishers and have been given this opportunity. So they pass it on with gratitude. Also it was a revelation that being from a village made them more accepting of diversity. It is apparent in any picture you see of our kids surfing. The widest smiles are of the trainers.

8. How has surfing helped the kids? How does it differ from taking them for hydro-therapy or swimming? Any quotes from parents would be great.

It is different from being in a pool because for surfing you have to be one with nature. This has a very calming effect. Also being on a safe beach, telling the parents to step back and give their children the space to explore can shift their understanding of each other. The coolness factor also cannot be underestimated. The kids seemed to understand and indulge in the idea that they were doing something which even neurotypicals could not easily acesss.

9. What is the objective of the Surfable event? 

The idea for Surfable was born out of our experiences with surfing in Chennai. We thought people outside of Chennai should get a chance to experience it. This is a continuation of the idea that we at aSpecialworld like to find something new, figure out how it works and then spread the know-how to reach as many special citizens as possible. Its open to persons with visual impairment and wheelchair users as well.

10. Any tips for others thinking of sending their kids surfing? 

Just go for it and join in the fun too!

Here is what the other parents have said about the course:

“It’s a great workout while being tremendous fun.”

“…their trainer buddies whose maxim “safety first” put many anxious parents at ease on the beach.”

“For us surfing was not only a calming therapy and brain tonic for Avraneil ( he is person with awesomsim ) but also a place where he got many beautiful friends who accepted him the way he is and supported him for learning surfing skill with patience and unconditional love…”

 

Condition