ACEing Autism Arlington Heights

ACEing Autism aims to be the preeminent thought leader on how tennis and sport develops children with autism spectrum disorder. ACEing Autism was founded in the summer of 2008 by Richard Spurling and Dr. Shafali Jeste in Boston, MA as a family-run organization with the invaluable efforts from its volunteers and supporters. In early 2010, Dr. Shafali Jeste 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.

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.

2023 marks the 15th year that ACEing Autism has been serving communities across the country. We currently service over 6,000 children with autism across 200 locations nationwide. We are passionate about our mission to connect kids through tennis, and we look forward to expanding our reach and welcoming volunteers, families, and children on our courts.