Who is the Manual for?

The Manual of Good Practices is designed for surf schools and clubs that are interested in adapting their activities to meet the specific needs of young people on the autism spectrum. These organizations, referred to as promoters, play a crucial role in implementing safe and effective surf therapy sessions

The Manual of Good Practices in Surf Therapy is designed to enhance the safety of surf schools and clubs offering surf activities to young people with autism grade 1. It evaluates the organizational labor structure that allows for these interventions to be carried out preventively and, if necessary, through specific actions. It provides a resource for organizational labor management that mitigates psychosocial risks by implementing work organization procedures that favor the prevention, intervention, and monitoring of risks at their source, in accordance with the updated protocols in Europe.

The objective of the Manual is to facilitate surf workers in the delivery of an accompaniment process of the client/participant with ASD grade 1 and his family members characterized by awareness of all risks involved arising not only from surf, but from the specific needs of users on the autism spectrum. The process breaks down into 8 steps. Each one of them helps not only to reduce risk, but also to reinforce the participation from users, creating a circuit of interest and positive feedback from the participation.

About the 8 steps:

The steps are meant to be implemented before, during and after every surf activity delivered by a team of surf workers to users with autism G1.

Each step is supported by a sheet that allows to get the information needed.

Prior to the surf activity: overall process of adaptation of the activity to the participants’ operating and health profile.

Step 1. Informing about the surf therapy service

Step 2: Assess the performance and health profile by recording data

Step 3: Prepare the client-participant through a preparation plan to be carried out outside of the surf school-club context.

Step 4: Prepare the surf instructor therapy coordinator for work on the beach

During the surf Activity: Implement the work protocols in the beach session.

Step 5: Conduct and evaluate the first personal ST session (limiting content).

Step 6 Conduct and Evaluate the second personal or group ST session (incremental content)

Step 7 Conduct and evaluate third and successive TS sessions.

After the surf activity: Implement evaluation processes through CHECKOUT reports.

Step 8 Establish the process through a feedback loop (show interest-participate-positive evaluation) giving data of low accident rate in the worker and data of functionality and safety in the process of integral development of the client-participant.