Waves of Healing How Surfing Changes the Lives of Children with Autism

“Stand up, up, UP!” is the mantra of Surfers for Autism, an organization that runs surf events for children with autism, providing the opportunity to not only catch waves, but to become part of a supportive surfing community.

It is also a message to all those struggling with autism: a message to stand up, no matter how hard it gets. Waves of Healing collects the stories of a group of everyday families who discovered Surfers for Autism in their search for hope, answers, and healing for their children with autism.

These are stories about the struggles children with autism face—the struggle to stand on a surfboard, the struggle to communicate, the struggle to make progress in a world which accepts “normal” and rejects all else. But they’re also stories of breakthroughs, of authentic joy and unbridled excitement as they learn to see their world from a whole new perspective—standing tall atop a surfboard, riding a wave all their own.

Exploring new avenues of therapy for those with autism, with therapeutic and extraordinary results, Waves of Healing is a snapshot of hope, courage, and human perseverance.

Cash Lambert is the former editor of Hawaii's Freesurf Magazine. He has written for ESPN Outdoors, the Outdoor Channel, Autism Parenting Magazine, Surfing Magazine, Eastern Surf Magazine and Surfline. A graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University, he served as a volunteer surf instructor with Surfers for Autism for 4 years.