Islip offers golf to kids with autism

"The kids don't think it's therapy. Aiden thinks it's just sports time," said Lorenzo, an aide to town Councilman Anthony Senft who learned about the program when therapist Alexander Lopez spoke at a recent town board meeting.Through Councilman Steve Flotteron, the town has worked with Lopez in the past on a golf program aimed at mentoring troubled teenagers in Brentwood.The program was so successful that Lopez launched similar programs at universities in Newark and Salt Lake City.Flotteron noted that these collaborative programs reach out to local youths without costing taxpayer money. "It costs the town nothing," he said.Lopez said he started Inclusive Sports and Fitness to help the children improve through the fun and activity of the sport.

"They're working on their balance, working on their coordination," Lopez said, adding that golf involves core exercises such as "crossing your midline" and hand-eye coordination.The 10-week program takes place on town golf facilities and at Give It Your All Sports in Ronkonkoma, which rents Lopez the facility at a discount. The town waives fees for use of the golf courses.While Lopez and other therapists volunteer their time along with student interns from Stony Brook University and Touro College, Lopez charges a $30 fee for each 90-minute session to pay for facilities and for a yoga teacher, who provides the youths another form of exercise.Golf is especially useful for teaching body motion to children, said Holbrook Country Club's golf pro Bill Leposa, who advised Lopez on developing the program.

"It has the instant gratification of seeing the ball move," Leposa said. "There's no body type required, either. As long as you can move this way and that way," he added, demonstrating the classic golf swing.The golf program, now in its second session,To keep things interesting is geared toward high-functioning children with autism who are 6 to 11 years old and left out of mainstream youth sports."Sports after a certain grade level gets very complicated, very cliquish," Lopez said. "These kids, they just need attention. They're not getting the resources anymore and they become sedentary. This is designed to help them strengthen their bodies."