Little Aoife was on the waiting list of every OT within 90 minutes of us - we'd lost hope

"Before she turned two, my daughter didn’t really acknowledge our existence. Now when she says ‘I love you’ before bed, even if she doesn’t fully understand what she’s saying, you realise all the hard work has been completely worth it."

When my wife and I found out my little girl’s occupational therapist would be leaving earlier this year, it felt like the end of the world.

My daughter, Aoife (Ee-fa), is three, and was diagnosed with level three autism just before she turned two.

At the time, she was basically non-verbal, wasn’t really affectionate, and didn’t really acknowledge our existence.

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We loved her to death, but it was definitely tough parenting a child who gave you nothing back.

However, therapies were a Godsend. She got into a speech therapist first, and while she still isn’t conversational, she has a lot of words.

She labels things, whether it be the fruit we’re giving her for a snack, the toy animals she has an abundance of, or the letters and numbers in her favourite puzzles.

She’s also called my wife and I ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ for the first time, and has begun saying phrases like ‘I love you’.

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My daughter being casually photobombed by her little brother. Picture: Supplied

"To say we were upset would be an understatement"

Occupational Therapy came next, and we noticed a change almost immediately.

She went from being a little girl who struggled to play with things the right way, and for any extended period of time, to a little girl who knew what to do with her toys, would spend more than 30 seconds with them, and knew when it was her turn to play.

We’d started seeing improvements in her social skills, and we’d even made small progress in toilet training before we got the gut wrenching news in January.

To say we were upset would be an understatement. We knew how tough the OT had it, and we didn’t blame her at all for finding a better job, but we also knew finding another OT in a regional area on short notice would be akin to pulling teeth.

We tried though. Our daughter was on the waiting list of every OT within 90 minutes of us that week, and we started looking into alternative therapies.

That’s how we found Gabbie Johnson. I knew of Gabbie from my days as a sports reporter (she’s a gun footballer), and I now knew she ran a surf therapy program for people with special needs.

It seemed like a no-brainer: my daughter is the definition of a water baby, she will seek out any water she can find and jump straight in if given the chance, so we knew she’d love incorporating the ocean into her therapy.

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Gabbie was able to get my daughter in to therapy within the week. Picture: Supplied

"Aoife has loved it since her first session"

I called Gabbie’s business, Beach Break Occupational Therapy, and they gave us the best news: Aoife could basically start the next week.

It felt like a lifesaver. We’d gone from feeling a little hopeless to having an exciting new therapy for Aoife within the space of about three days.

Aoife has loved it since her first session back in February. While it may look a little unstructured and chaotic to an outsider, my daughter continues to learn in a play-based environment with her favourite place in the world as the backdrop.

Seeing her joy as she floats around the shallows on the surfboard makes your heart melt. Seeing her excitement as Gabbie chases her up and down the sand makes you smile. But seeing the bond she’s developed with Gabbie, even in the short amount of time they’ve been together, has been the best thing to watch.

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My daughter has an absolute blast at therapy every week. Picture: Supplied

"Kids are so much more motivated in a space that is meaningful to them"

Kidspot spoke to Gabbie about her business and the impact she has on kids and their families.

Gabbie said she was motivated to start her surf therapy business as she was always looking for ways to bring OT into a child’s home or a nature-based environment.

“I found the kids were so much more motivated in a space that was meaningful to them,” she said.

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“I felt this made working towards goals a fast-tracked process, and more fun!

“I started looking into (surf therapy) and felt it really aligned with OT models and values, especially around inclusion. I thought there was absolutely no reason I couldn’t do paediatric OT at the beach, working on the same goals with the same client group, just using the beach, nature and surfing as my new therapy tools.”

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My daughter is just one of the 28 kids Gabbie helps through her surf therapy. Picture: Supplied

"It's such a rich environment for exploration and learning"

Gabbie currently has 28 kids on her books, and recently started a trial for 14 women over the age of 65.

“The beach and ocean are the ultimate therapeutic environment,” Gabbie told Kidspot.

“It’s such a rich environment for exploration and learning, and it really stimulates their creativity and curiosity.

“Being out in nature is known to promote positive wellbeing and mental health, and this is no different for kids. It provides them a safe space where they can feel confident, calm and included.

“Because they’re in an environment and doing activities that are so meaningful to them, they’re able to work on goals without even knowing they’re engaging in therapy.

“They’re just like any other kid hanging out at the beach and having a great time.”

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My daughter loves the ocean, and loves spending time on the surfboard. Picture: Supplied

"I love celebrating the small and big successes with the kids"

And while parents and families get an awful lot out of Gabbie’s sessions (we’re living proof), Gabbie finds it equally as rewarding.

“I love celebrating the small and big successes with the kids and their families,” she told Kidspot.

 “One of my favourite things is when kids first stand up on the boards on a wave by themselves, and they look back at me with a huge cheesy grin.

“They’re just so proud of themselves, as I am of them.

“The smiles, the laughs and the confidence that proceeds gives me so much joy, and I feel so honoured to be a part of a kid’s journey.”

Aoife’s last session is this week, and we’re already counting down the weeks until she restarts next summer.

Sure, my daughter still has a long way to go, but when she gives you a cuddle before bed and says ‘I love you’, even if she doesn’t fully understand what she’s saying, you realise all the hard work you’ve done for her has been completely worth it.

Originally published as Little Aoife was on the waiting list of every OT within 90 minutes of us - we'd lost hope