Sensory Integration is the brains capacity to gather information from our vital internal and external sensory systems; filtering information that is not important, and paying attention to pertinent information in order to participate in our daily lives. Higher level skills that are achieved through efficient sensory processing may include things such as attention and nervous system regulation, sleep and respiration (regulated breathing), gross and fine motor skill development, academics and learning, social participation and emotional regulation; to name a few!

How does surf therapy support sensory integration?

-Body Awareness (vestibular and proprioceptive input and integration) as children receive input to their bodies through being in the water, riding on the surfboard, and catching waves (even small ones).

-Maturing the Tactile System: This could look like acclimating to tactile input such as the feeling of the sand, putting a wetsuit on, or applying sunscreen.

-Auditory and Visual Input: This is addressed as children filter noises at the beach, or visually attend to their environment in the water (watching waves, watching other surfers, and looking in the direction they are going).

-Interoception: The more the child develops body awareness through integrating other systems, the more the internal systems become regulated such as knowing when they need to use the bathroom or regulating breathing or noticing cues for hunger or sleep.

Motor Skill development can be a building block on top of sensory integration. Motor skills included things like, postural strength development, bilateral integration, hand-eye coordination, fine-motor strength and coordination etc.

How does surf therapy support this?

-Postural Strength and Balance: These skills are addressed heavily) A child will utilize their postural muscles (core and back) to stay laying down on the board. As they stand up, they will work on balance and equilibrium (making for a strong kid).

-Bilateral Integration: This means using two sides of the body together. As children paddle, both sides have to work in rhtym. This can also be supported during activities on the sand such as yoga or sand based obstacle courses which prepare the child to surf.

-Motor Coordination: As the child develops strength, they can use the body as a whole. This means things like hand-eye coordination or integrating the upper body with the lower body. As the child learns to surf, they must be aware of how the entire body works together.

-Gross and Fine Motor Skills: Your child may have specific gross of fine motor skills they need help with. Theses can be worked on prior to getting in the water. They can also be supported in the home environment and your child can go to the beach for all other needs.

There are a number of things that may be impacting your child’s ability to be strong and move in a comfortable and coordinated way. For example, they may have had a history of non-integrated primitive reflexes, or a history of oral-restrictions or torticollis as a young infant. They may have avoided tummy time due to experiencing reflux or constipation. Some of these could still be persisting.

Did you know things like these (among other factors) can influence muscular development and therefore fluid and relaxed muscles needed to develop good body awareness and motor coordination?

Surfing won’t fix restrictions in the body. However, once we explore restrictions (working with a medical team to provide necessary support), surfing will begin to support the ability to build strength, integrate retained reflexes, and build strong coordination after possible restrictions have been supported. Allowing the child to move and breathe freely.

What is Physical Regulation? Physical regulation is the bodies ability to come out of fight/flight/freeze state and return to a state of regulation (or, rest and digest). Often, kids who have sensory processing challenges, or are challenged in their physical bodies; event social challenges; the body will quickly become dysregulated.

Emotional Regulation connects to physical regulation. If a child is physically dysregulated, it can cause them to quickly become emotionally fatigued. We may see things like:

-Emotional Lability: Quickly fluctuating in their emotions.

-Difficulty transitioning between tasks (especially from those that are preferred to non-preferred).

-Poor Frustration Tolerance

-Anger Outburst

-Feeling Anxious or Sad

-Difficulty Being Flexible in Their Routine or Ways of Doing Things

Being in nature, entering the ocean, and even riding a surfboard on your tummy can create physical regulation, regulate breathing, help the child connect to self, and create a space to recognize, talk about, and work through different feelings.

Finally, as the child encounters challenges on the beach and in the ocean, it gives them an opportunity to work through feelings that may be sparked by this playful but ever changing environment.

As children begin to show up in the world, they begin to become aware of their physical body in space, they become aware of themselves in relation to their peers. When children are faced with physical, emotional, or even social challenges, it can cause them to shy away from how they show up in the world. It can impact their sense of self and the ownership of their wonderful identity.

As children participate in surf therapy, my hope is that through a safe and playful space, as they learn new skills, they can walk away with a strong sense of accomplishment. Not only from the skills they have gained, but from recognizing their strengths, while supporting their areas of challenge. In doing so, my hope is it supports them to believe this can be done in all areas of life.