ACEing Autism serves up opportunities and connection for North Texans

Teaching the game of tennis without letting a diagnosis define the player is the goal of ACEing Autism , a unique program offered in North Texas serving up opportunities and connection.

On the tennis court, Ryan Curry is an 18-year-old who loves learning the game of tennis.

His mom, Stephanie Curry, said she has watched her son's skills on the court improve.

"In the beginning, I think it was even hard for him to hold the racket upright," she said. "I have some old videos, and watching the old videos and seeing such an improvement he has made and seeing how willing he is to stick with it, I'm just so proud."

The sport of tennis challenges people's perceptions of what it means to have autism.

"Motor skills are hard for [Ryan's] social skills, he's not able to speak but he can type, he can handwrite and he can point on a letterboard," Stephanie Curry said.

Ryan Curry can now say he plays tennis thanks to the team of volunteers and program directors at ACEing Autism.

"I can't imagine being intact mentally and then having your body at odds with you, or a challenge to you most of the day, and he just perseveres and it is just incredible to watch," Stephanie Curry said.

Titus Crawford, an ACEing Autism program director said data and research have proved the program's impact.

"It has shown us that it's helped with their fine motor skills, socialization and their overall health," Crawford said. "Then, at the same time, it's given these kids a way to express themselves and it helps with their home life."

The program individualizes the curriculum based on each participant's skill levels and needs.

"We take our participants through a very specific curriculum where they get to do a warmup, we get to do hand-eye coordination, we get to do racket skills and then breaking it down with volleys, ground strokes, serves and the sport of tennis itself while also focusing on building confidence," said Meagan Caldwell, an ACEing Autism program director.

The program helps the students succeed on and off the tennis court.

"To other parents out there who have kids on the spectrum, I would say a trust your gut and keep pushing," said Adrienne Bransky, Texas regional director for ACEing Autism. "You will never know how far your child can go, you will never know what they can accomplish, if we don't push them and try to give them these opportunities."

ACEing Autism hopes to make the program available to everyone regardless of ability to pay, so the organization has partnered with local and national companies like Dicks Sporting Goods to provide grants and scholarships for the sessions.

ACEing Autism programs operate at 150 locations nationwide, with three programs in North Texas: Fort Worth , Dallas and McKinney .

New programs will launch locally in the spring with one in Southlake and one in the Princeton/Melissa area.