Surfs Up at Narragansett Beach for Local Children Suffering from Developmental Disabilities

The University of Rhode Island's Kinesiology Department is bringing the joy of surfing to developmentally disabled children at Narragansett Town Beach.

Throughout spring, 23 local children of varying abilities took to the waters, surf boards in tow, to learn to surf under the careful guidance of URI students and professors.

The program at Narragansett Town Beach is a community adapted physical education program called Surf Ocean Therapy Intervention that challenges developmentally disabled children physically, mentally and emotionally, but is also fun.

“There aren’t very many activities for children with disabilities, and the result of the pilot surfing program we did last year showed so many positives,” said Assistant Kinesiology Professor Emily Clapham, who created the surfing program. “There was increased core and upper body strength, enhanced balance and just a better overall sense of wellbeing.”

The children, ages 5-19, met at the beach twice a week for eight weeks, wearing wet suits with hoods, gloves, and booties to keep warm. Their final class was last week. Some of the children involved suffered from Down Syndrome while others are on the autism spectrum, have Attention Deficit Disorder, learning disabilities, or cognitive delays. 

The surfers work one-on-one with kinesiology students while in the water and extra lifeguards were hired for the sessions. Seven additional children who have more physically limiting conditions meet twice a week at the URI pool, also with an extra lifeguard. In addition to the children the program was designed for, Clapham said their siblings have been included and are participating. 

“We are looking at the bigger picture and finding another type of therapy for children,” she said. “We want them to feel that this is a program for me.”

The Kinesiology Department offers the community a range of adapted physical education programs throughout the year. At URI, Clapham is teaching future physical education teachers and her goal is to transform physical education, now called fitness or wellness, in public schools. 

“We want to present physical education in the most fun and engaging way possible,” Clapham said. “Children need to find a physical activity they love and want to do outside of school. We need students to say that they love their physical education class.” 

Clapham works closely with Special Olympics Rhode Island and other groups to add more substance to her adapted physical education courses, instructing URI students how to work hands-on with students who have various disabilities.