Saturday March 21, 2015 marked the first ACEing Autism tennis in Atlanta as it was held at the Dekalb Tennis Center in Decatur.

Benefiting the entire community, ACEing Autism is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2008 and provides a weekly program for children with autism to learn tennis.

“Having a program in Atlanta has been a priority for ACEing Autism as Emory University has a world class autism center and Atlanta is one of the busiest tennis cities in the US,” explains Richard Spurling, founder of ACEing Autism. “We are excited to bring our program to new families in Atlanta and provide a recreational tennis program for children with autism. Establishing a partnership with Emory students who volunteer with our program is essential for our program’s success.”

Spurling continues:

“Children are able to improve their motor skills, fitness, and social skills all while having fun learning tennis!”

DeKalb Tennis Center is offering classes on Saturday’s for two age groups.

From 1-2 p.m. there will be a 10 and under class and at 2-3 p.m. is a class for 11 – 18 year olds.

Each child is paired with two volunteers so that the lesson can be catered to each child’s ability. Emory University students and local high school tennis players are volunteering their time to help children with autism learn the game of tennis.

For more Atlanta ACEing Autism information or register for this program please contact program director, Victoria Stephens at vjstephens6@gmail.com

Per ACEing Autism, here is what they have set out to do and why:

ACEing Autism was founded in the summer of 2008 by Richard Spurling & Dr. Shafali Jeste in Boston, MA. as a family run organization with the invaluable efforts of its volunteers & supporters. We launched our first program at The Longfellow Club, Wayland (MA) with 15 children. In the spring of 2009 we added a second location, The Weymouth Club in Weymouth (MA). Richard quickly realized that he could greatly enhance the lives of children and families with autism through tennis, and he made a commitment to dedicate his career to the development and expansion of ACEing Autism.

In early 2010, Shafali was recruited to the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a center that has been a leader in the field of autism research for decades. Shafali and Richard relocated to Los Angeles in 2010, and since then Richard has focused on program development and expansion.. ACEing Autism now has sites in Los Angeles, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Pittsburgh, San Diego, New Orleans, Nashville, and Indianapolis. The expansion continues, as we are just beginning to meet the needs of the thousands of children with autism across the country.

Our success lies in our commitment to tailoring the program to the needs of each individual child with autism. In 2013 Richard was honored with the USPTR’s Humanitarian of Year Award for his work building this program and in August 2014 ACEing Autism was given the USTA’s Community Service Award.

For more information visit: aceingautism.com.

ACEing Autism is about “connecting kids thru tennis.”

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