Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Spurling. Them and their team share their story with us below:
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.
We currently service more than 1400 children with autism across over 90 locations nationwide. We are passionate about our mission to connect kids through tennis, and we look forward to meeting volunteers, families, and children on our courts across the country as we continue to grow.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With developing and launching a new concept in the nonprofit space there are a plethora of challenges. First, the curriculum must be tested and will evolve over time through trial and error. With the maturation of the curriculum, we have faced many challenges collecting data to prove efficacy of the program. We are also constantly trying to diversify revenue streams and cultivate high net worth individuals to support our mission. Identifying ideal candidates to direct our programs as well as building the ACEing staff can be challenging. In terms of programming expansion, it has been challenging to make inroads with schools to adopt our programs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ACEing Autism?
ACEing Autism is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2008 in Boston< MA. We specialize in developing a recreational tennis program for children with autism. We currently have about 90 programs in 31 states and reach about 1,000 children with autism. Our programs provide tennis equipment and cater the clinic to each participant by providing a trained volunteer who will meet the child at their level. Our program focuses on creating a fun environment where children learn tennis skills while also working on movement, fitness and socialization. We are proud to be collaborating with UCLA CART (Centers for Autism Research and Treatment) who are measuring outcomes that show gains in gross motor skills, attention, and behaviors. Our programs offer programs on the weekends in the Fall, Winter and Spring seasons. There is a $20 fee per clinic and scholarships are available for financial assistance.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Please find our locations at aceingautism.org.
Pricing:
- $20 per clinic
- Scholarships available
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.aceingautism.org
- Instagram: @aceingautism
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aceingautism
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACEingAutism
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ACEingAutism1in65
