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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Surfing

4 replies

saintlydamemrsturnip · 28/09/2010 09:53

Just want to tell you all about this in case it's of use to anyone.

For the last three years we've been to the annual breaking the barrier/surfable event at Bigbury (but it's run at other sites as well) It's a big event organised by Lifeworks who do a lot of bits and pieces with children/young adults with learning disabilities (respite etc).

These one day events are free - this year we had to pay a deposit of £20 but we were given that back.

They've also teamed up with surf schools to provide subsidised lessons throughout the year and now a few free events as well. Ds1 went to one last week at Discovery Surf school. It was run in a similar way to the big events although with one person per child (rather than 2) and normal boards rather than the big long double ones they use for the big events. There were 5 children in the group ranging in age from infants to teens.

Ds1 absolutely loves it. The instructors are really good. I don't know that they have any particular training in LD's (Lifeworks who organise the big events obviously do) but they're a very accepting bunch and don't seem to have any problems. They've all been great with ds1.

There's a www.surfable.co.uk/page005.html list of surfable surf schools on this website]]. Might be useful if there's one near you or if you go on holiday anywhere near one.

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saintlydamemrsturnip · 28/09/2010 09:55

oh i mean at the big events there are two people per child - a surf instructor and a helper. At the surf school lessons there was only one. I think all the kids taking part in last weeks lesson had SLD's - and there were no problems, I wasn't sure how the 1:1 rather than 2:1 would work so I squeezed myself into a wetsuit as well but I wasn't really needed except right at the beginning to show the instructor how to get ds1 in the correct position/place on the board.

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saintlydamemrsturnip · 28/09/2010 09:56

gah list of surf schools

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sphil · 28/09/2010 17:13

We are definitely going to do this next year - only didn't this year because it clashed with my birthday commiserations celebrations.

DS2 will now wear a wetsuit, as long as you don't give him too much time to think about the fact he's got it on - so that's a big advantage.

saintlydamemrsturnip · 29/09/2010 09:59

brilliant sphil. Are you going to come to the bigbury day or somewhere closer to you? ds1 really loves it.

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