Autistic Kids Take to the Surf

When Israel Paskowitz took his son out on a surfboard for the first time, he noticed a profound change in the boy.

Previously, Isaiah—who is autistic—had struggled with sensory overload and found that even simple sensations could fill him with stress.

But, when out on a surfboard with his father, the young boy seemed to find a sense of calm from the rhythm of the waves and the vastness of the water.

Israel, a former competitive surfer, teamed up with his wife Danielle to bring this unusual method of therapy to other children with autism.

In 1999, they founded Surfers Healing, a free day camp where families could come to try out the sport and see how they can benefit.

According to Surfers Healing, a day on the waves helps instill confidence, personal growth and a sense of accomplishment in autistic children. Meanwhile, parents get to see their children let go, relax and smile.

"It gives [the kids], for a moment of time, a sense of refuge, an escape from what is going on in their minds that nobody can explain," Jason Scalzo, a volunteer from South Carolina, told the Charleston Post and Courier. "It's beautiful."