On a wave of independence

Surf camp offers multifaceted therapy for autistic youngster.

By: Matt Chiappardi
   Little Surfer, little one

   Made my heart come all undone
   HIGHTSTOWN — For some people, surfing is a far-off venture they’ve only heard about in a Beach Boys song.
   For 6-year-old Emily Fiordland, it was not only a special adventure, but a powerful therapeutic tool.
   Emily is autistic, and as a result she has difficulty communicating and engaging in social interactions. Some of the most recent medical research says the disorder is hereditary and that there is no cure. But that doesn’t mean the disorder can’t be managed with a range of therapies.
   That’s exactly what Emily’s mother, Susan, was looking for when she found the iMatter Surf Camp, a program put together by the Princeton-based Community Options organization, which provides housing, support services and other assistance for people with disabilities.
   On Aug. 18, the national nonprofit organization held its first annual surf camp at Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton, N.Y.
   Ms. Fiordland said she had been looking for some type of water-based therapy for Emily, but programs that are close to her home in the borough are too expensive for her. When she found Community Options, she jumped at the chance because it seemed perfect for Emily.
   "She loves the water, anything with water, which is funny because I sink like a rock," said the mother.
   "I knew in my heart that Emily would love this," she added.
   While surfing, with its intense speed and unpredictable conditions, may seem like a strange choice of therapy for someone with autism, Community Options Executive Director Dr. Jessica Guberman said there are many reasons it’s a good choice.
   "For children with autism, aquatic therapy focuses on therapeutic, play-based functional movement, improving range of motion, helping to facilitate neurodevelopmental growth, improved body awareness, increased balance, sensory integration, mobility skills, and most importantly, having fun," she explained.
   So, Ms. Fiordland packed her car and made the drive up to New York for a trip that had Emily smiling the entire way, she said.
   "Emily was excited about the trip before we even started," she said.
   "She wanted to see the rides at Coney Island. She was enthusiastic about surfing. She never saw a surfboard before, but she knows what boogey boarding is and that got her excited about it."
   Once they arrived, Emily began some sand instruction learning how to balance and move on the board before she actually got out to sea. Emily was a little hesitant, said Ms. Fiordland, but still had the courage to try the new activity.
   "A lot of (the kids) have a fear of even getting on the board," said Ms. Fiordland.
   But many quickly get over their anxiety because as Ms. Fiordland puts it, "they’re in total control for the first time in their environment."
   Dr. Guberman explained.
   "The warm water provides a safe and supported environment, which not only supports the children but also provides them with hydrostatic pressure that surrounds their body in water," she said. "This pressure actually soothes and calms the children providing necessary sensory input that they crave."
   The water is not only therapeutic for the children, it’s also empowering, said Dr. Guberman.
   Ms. Fiordland noticed the change right away, and said she couldn’t be happier.
   "For the first time (Emily) seemed like a regular kid out there, like a kid with no disabilities," she said.
   Emily started with an instructor but later moved on to surfing independently, and Ms. Fiordland said, ended her day by riding a wave into the shore all by herself.
   Asked about the best part of her day, Emily said, "I liked surfing by myself."
   "She was so engaged," said Ms. Fiordland.
   "She crashed at the end and hit her head on a sandbar, but she was OK," she added.
   While the surfing lesson was an engaging and empowering experience for Emily, it also provided her mother with some comfort. The comfort, she said, to know that she was not alone in her struggle to raise a disabled child.
   "It was so nice to be around other families that understood," she said.
   "We all became a family of strangers."
   At home, Ms. Fiordland said it’s difficult for other parents of nondisabled children to relate to her or her daughter. Oftentimes, she noted, other parents are afraid to let their children play with Emily.
   And some institutions, she said, see disabled children as a liability.
   "You’ll hear school districts say things like disabled kids are draining our budget dry," said the mother of the child who attends Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School.
   "They’re misunderstood, and I don’t want Emily to suffer for that misunderstanding," she added.
   At the camp, Ms. Fiordland said, "I was so relaxed. When you have a group of parents that get together, those kinds of things are not a concern."
   Dr. Guberman said Community Options plans to expand its iMatter surf camp into a number of different camps all over New Jersey and New York.
   "We want the children to be able to go back to school in the fall and when they are asked what they did for the summer, they can proudly say, ‘I went surfing.’"