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"Small Waves" Offers Glimpse at Work of Surfers Healing
When former competitive surfer Israel “Izzy” Paskowitz and his wife Danielle's three-year-old son Isaiah was diagnosed with autism, their worlds changed forever.

Instead of removing himself from the world of surfing, Izzy decided to introduce his son to the sport. With Isaiah on the front of the board and Izzy at the back steering, father and son spent the day surfing. The impact this experience had on Isaiah was “profound.”

Realizing the benefits surfing had for Isaiah prompted Izzy and Danielle to found Surfers Healing, a not-for-profit organization that hosts surfing day camps for children with autism spectrum disorders.

“Small Waves” is a short documentary produced by Autism Speaks highlighting a day at a Surfers Healing Surf Camp in Montauk New York.

The Paskowitz family, sometimes called “The First Family of Surfing,” has been running surf camps in California, Mexico and Montauk, New York since 1972. Founded by family patriarch Dorian Paskowitz and currently run by Izzy, The Paskowitz Family Surf Camp claims that “they dont just teach people to surf---they create surfers.”


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