EXPERT: Creating a Place for Every Child on the Court with Richard Spurling

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today’s Expert episode, #268, with Richard Spurling. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving moms.

Today, Jessica Patay and Susanna Peace Lovell sit down with Richard Spurling, founder of ACEing Autism, to talk about creating inclusive opportunities for autistic and neurodivergent children through tennis.

Richard shares how ACEing Autism began, how the organization has grown, and what he has learned from years of adapting tennis instruction to meet children where they are. What may begin as learning how to hold a racket or hit a ball can also create opportunities to develop motor skills, body awareness, confidence, social skills, and connection.

They also explore what it takes to build a truly inclusive sports program—from recruiting and training volunteers to making programs financially accessible and creating an environment where children with different needs and abilities can participate.

But the community doesn't end on the tennis court. Richard discusses the relationships that develop between families, the role of parent support networks, and why programs like ACEing Autism can offer families something that extends far beyond the sport itself.

Richard also shares some of the children whose progress has stayed with him, the organization's plans for continued expansion, and his ambitious goal of reaching 500 programs by 2030.

Whether your child already loves sports or you've wondered whether there is a place where they could comfortably participate, this conversation is a reminder of what can happen when we adapt the opportunity to the child instead of asking the child to adapt to the opportunity.

We see you, and we love you!

We are incredibly grateful to Rise Educational Advocacy for sponsoring Season 11 of Brave Together Podcast and for supporting our mission to strengthen and encourage caregiving moms.

Find more about ACEing Autism here. 

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Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.

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