Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is persistent developmental disorder, where the senses of a person with ASD will either become overloaded or will not be shown or expressed. It is estimated that currently 1 in 100 Australians are on the Autism spectrum, and a significant percentage of these are under 25 years old. This age bracket typically engages with a range of sports, and research shows that physical activity lowers negative behaviours in children with autism and promotes those that are more positive. Additionally, frequent physical activity can even improve self-stimulatory, hyperactivity and aggressive behaviours over time.

As a result, it is clear that physical activity should meet the needs of people with Autism. However, kids with autism have different relationships with their senses, so certain sports may meet the needs of one child but may not for another child. Sensory sensitivities may involve sight, touch, taste, smell, sound, sense of position, sense of balance, sense of movement and temperature.

As surfing is a passion of mine, I decided to explore the possibility of making this sport accessible to people with autism, especially kids. It provides multi-sensory stimulation, but has a calming and centering effect on your mood. My aim was to design and create a purpose-specific surfboard that makes it viable for people with Autism to learn how to surf in a safe and supportive way, in conjunction with a tailored learning program.