The healing power of surfing

For kids with autism, sport goes beyond catching waves

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“Scott, do you want to get a wave?” surf instructor Cliff Skudin asked the cherub-faced 12-year-old as he flitted about on the beach, having fun.

“Yeah!” responded an excited Scott Weisbrot, who grabbed a long board with Skudin and hit the water.

The two paddled out in the waters off National Boulevard, and, moments later, the pair zoomed toward the shore as they glided on a cresting wave. Scott — his arms extended like Leonardo DiCaprio in the famous scene from the movie Titanic — beamed as he rode the crashing wave with Skudin.

“I’ll try anything for my kids,” said Scott's mother, Jane, of Merrick, as she cheered her son on, while her other son, Scott's twin brother, Brett, was catching waves as well. Both sons have autism, and, as Weisbrot explained, the thought of her kids participating in such an activity once seemed remote.

“My kids love surfing so much,” she said. “If Cliff takes my kids, I know that when they're out, they're catching waves. When you learn that your child has autism, all of these hopes and dreams disappear. But the kids love the sound of the ocean, it’s calming. Some parents could never imagine their kids surfing. But it makes them happy and brings joy to your heart.”

Weisbrot's children were two of roughly 50 kids with autism who were learning how to surf on July 15 by instructors from Surf for All, a local non-profit organization launched in the spring by brothers Cliff and Will Skudin, and Long Beach resident Jim Mulvaney, the parent of an autistic child.

Surf for All is geared toward helping people with special needs, ranging from autistic spectrum disorders to diabetes through surfing and the healing power of the ocean, which many said has a therapeutic effect on kids.

Autism, a developmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life, affects brain function and impacts the development of social interaction and communication skills. According to the Autism Society, most children and adults with autism have difficulty communicating, with social interaction and during leisure or play activities.

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