Waving Off Their Fears

The first time Adam Genesta went surfing Wednesday he had to be dragged literally kicking and screaming into the water.

The second time was considerably easier; he asked to go out. “It was so cool,” the 7-year-old from Laguna Beach said when it was all over. “Goodbye, fear!”

Genesta was one of about 30 autistic youngsters, ages 4 to 10, who experienced the sometimes-frightening thrill of riding the waves--many for the first time--at San Onofre State Beach south of San Clemente on Wednesday. Besides their shared condition, they had two things in common: being taught by some of the world’s most accomplished surfers and not having a choice about whether to get wet.

“The issue is anxiety,” said Israel Paskowitz, director of San Clemente’s Paskowitz Surf Camp, which sponsored the three-hour event. “Even though they don’t want to go in, they come out of the water completely relaxed. And a week later they’re still talking about it.”

The idea for the annual summer surfing days for autistic children, Paskowitz said, grew out of his experiences with his own son--now 10--who suffers from autism. The neurological disorder affects language, speech, sensory perception and, in some cases, motor skills.

“I’d take him surfing, and he always enjoyed it,” Paskowitz said. “It seemed like a natural thing to do. It had a nice calming effect. For a moment he’d be normal.”

Eventually, Paskowitz, a former champion surfer, started taking some of his friends’ autistic children surfing. Three years ago, he opened it up to all families with autistic children.

“We think it’s good for them,” said Jennifer Tracy, director of Surfers Healing, the nonprofit organization that coordinates the events. “These kids are in their own little world. If we can bring them together to play, it’s a great thing.”

Parents see other benefits as well. By being placed in a strong natural environment, they say, autistic children are forced--even if just for a minute--to exist in the real world. The experience helps them develop motor and sensory skills. And, parents say, the result is often a boost in confidence and self-esteem.

“My son is very reluctant to try new things,” said Lee Ann Addison, who brought her 5-year-old son, Timmy, to Wednesday’s event, the third this summer. “This helps him see that he can do things and still be OK. It develops self-worth.”

Lori Eyraud of San Clemente said she welcomes any opportunity to teach her children water safety. “When you live in a beach community,” she said, “you have to be safe.”

And Jill Holmen of Aliso Viejo said she brought her 4-year-old son, Anders, mainly for a rare day of relaxation in the sun. “It’s just a good day of fun,” she said. “It’s a natural environment that really helps calm them down. These kids go through a lot of therapy each week--this is something that just lets them be kids.”

Indeed, the majority acted very kid-like as eight experienced surfers took turns carefully shepherding a child out among the breakers on long boards before racing them back in the surge of a swell. Though some kids screamed bloody murder all the way out, most had smiles on their faces during the long ride back to shore.

Kelly Slater, a six-time world champion surfer on hand to help out, had a theory why. “It’s a direct relationship with nature,” he said. “There is movement and power involved--natural forces that give them a thrill. Surfing is really exhilarating--it touches something deep in these children not affected by their disease.”