Surfers for autismSurfers for autism

Leigh-Ann HerzogApril 22, 2012

Community Connections

S.F.A’s MissionS.F.A’s MissionThe Surfers For Autism mission is to unlock the potential of people with developmental disabilities, support advocacy for autism issues and scientific research. Our focus is to eliminate stigma through public awareness and education and to unite communities through volunteerism.

HistoryHistory• First event was held on the north side of the pier in

Deerfield Beach, Fl.

Raised $10,000 to benefit autism associated charities.

• Grew to host several events in several locations around the world. 

• Most events reach 200 participants and double that amount in volunteers.

• Some events have raised close to $20,000.

The Need for Awareness The Need for Awareness • S.F.A wanted to show the

community just how awesome these kids truly are. They achieve that goal by teaching the kids to stand up on a surfboard and ride the waves all the way to the shore line.

• I fulfilled my required 15 hours at two separate events.

How S.F.A was ranHow S.F.A was ran• Each volunteer was given a lime green wristband so

they could be easily identified as a volunteer.

Each participant was given either a red, blue, orange or white wristband.

• There was a different colored flag for each color group that matched participants wristband.

• Once flag was raised, depending on the color, that meant it was that colored wristbands turn to go.

• There was 50 participants in each group and each “session” lated for 30 minutes.

How S.F.A ran cont’d ...How S.F.A ran cont’d ...• There would be groups of 2-4

volunteers for each participant.

The “master instructor” would show the participant how to paddle and stand up on the board.

• Once the participant felt comfortable we’d take them into the water and surf!

Participant DemographicsParticipant Demographics• S.F.A serviced children as young as 4 years old and

young adults from all different backgrounds.

Since this was a free event everyone was welcome and able to afford it!

• Most participants were autistic although some had other disabilities to such as, Down Syndrome.

There were 200 participants at each event that I attended so 400 persons with disabilities were serviced!

I.D.E.AI.D.E.A• Autism means a developmental disability significantly

affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

• Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Service in ActionService in Action

ReflectionReflection• My initial thoughts about this opportunity was that I

was excited!

My feelings after completing my community connections hours are reaffirmed that this is the right field for me :)

• The experience that had the most impact was when one of the participants didn’t want to do anything we asked him to do.

Course ConnectionsCourse Connections

• The course I was completing this assignment for is Introduction to Special Education.

• The experiences that I had will help to inform my future professional work because I’ll keep in mind to remember that this person with a disability is a person first and they just have a disability they aren’t defined by that disability.

Course TopicsCourse Topics• Autism Spectrum Disorders

“The key word in the term ASD is spectrum, which implies similar characteristics but great variance in the actual behavioral patterns exhibited.” (p.406)

• During my time that I spent with these remarkable individuals I got to see a range of the severity of their disability.

• Collaboration

Such as pairing a student with autism with one who does not have autism.

• During the event all participants had to be paired with volunteers so that the volunteers could show them what to do to ensure their safety.

• Partnerships with Families and Communities

In this section it said parents often feel cautious when their child with autism act out and there are special groups to help parents feel more at ease with this.

• During the event if you saw a child act out you would never see the look of embarrassment or fear on a parents face but they looked so comfortable being surrounded by families going through the same thing.

Civic EngagementCivic Engagement• Volunteerism is a great way to show not only the kids

who have autism but also the family that there are people who care.

When you do something good for the community, no matter how long it took or how hard it made you sweat, you always feel good about helping the community and the community is also so grateful to you.

• I think service learning is great because not only are you learning but your helping someone at the same time.

Civic Engagement Cont’d ..Civic Engagement Cont’d ..

• I loved this experience so much that I am planning on volunteering at more S.F.A events on my own!

• I would encourage teachers as well as students to embrace service learning because there are some thing that can’t be taught in the classroom through a lecture. By experiencing these things first hand you really get a sense of what your future career will be like.

Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

• I loved that I had the opportunity to share such a special day with these children and their families. I love knowing that I made a difference in a child’s life just by pushing them on a surfboard!

• My future career plans are to work with kids with varying exceptionalities in a high school setting. Oh and to continue volunteering at more S.F.A events for years to come :)