Kyle Mamiya

As we head into the fall season and a new school year for many of our patients, I was reflecting on some summer fun we had, and the versatility and functionality of methods we use to facilitate mastery of academic material/skills with our patients with cognitive and communication challenges. Last Feb our kids had fun in the ocean waves during a visit with my Dad in HI, and expressed an interest in learning to surf. We were inspired a few weeks back to road trip along the coast from Seattle to So. Cal for an intensive introduction to surfing experience. I relied on the strategies we use clinically for motor learning, intrinsic motivation, building resilience, and meta cognitive strategy instruction to try to flatten the learning curve and increase the fun factor for this endeavor that challenges you mentally, physically and emotionally. It was critical to work on social communication skills in the “line up” that are heavily dependent on appropriate responses to subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) verbal, body positioning, facial expression, and gesture cues for safety and an enjoyable time. Ultimately, the teaching and coaching therapeutic methods appeared sound and translatable, with outcome measures suggesting we met our goals. The kids reveled in mother nature propelled fun, and parents survived to plan another trip. Hoping everyone enjoys the change in season, and appreciate our friends and colleague’s wisdom and knowledge to help our patients and one another to keep seeking the next adventure!

AVASLP President-Elect,

Kyle Mamiya