Brian Costello knows autism. His brother was diagnosed with the developmental disorder at the age of 2.
Today, the owner of CrossFit Long Island runs a class specifically for children and teenagers with autism and other mental disorders.
“The first class, I was nervous I didn’t have a real solid plan,” Costello recalls.
But things went better than expected.
“They didn’t reject the hard work. They seemed to embrace it a little,” he says.
The next week, the group of athletes was back and ready to go.
Costello, meanwhile, has been careful with the movements he chooses to teach, selecting those that will be easy for the athletes to learn and perform.
“I think it’s important for them to find success early in the CrossFit movements,” he explains.
Costello adds: “I want ’em to walk out with a smile.”
Video by Mike Koslap.
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Additional reading: Accessing Athleticism by Anna Woods, published Feb. 6, 2013.