(WV) Huntington

Huntington ACEing Autism is a local program that is part of a national organization designed to provide athletes with ASD an opportunity to engage in physical activity and socialize. Dr. Andy Stringfellow from Marshall University is the program director and Joanne Smith from McKell Middle School in South Shore KY is the Assistant program Director. We want to help as many children as we can learn some physical skills, socialize, and have fun through tennis. Along the way we also want to create and strengthen bonds with the community and the community members that seek out new and different ways to get their children involved in a positive experience.

Trained Program Directors and volunteers lead participants through our curriculum. At the very heart, tennis is a social game that furnishes a natural opportunity to develop and reinforce skills that many children on the spectrum find a struggle: turn-taking, focus and attending, motor planning, fine and gross motor skills, and more. Our Program Directors meet athletes where they are at and progress through our curriculum at their own pace.

We offer weekly tennis clinics for children with autism between the ages of 5 and 18. Our clinics run for one hour, with sessions running for six to eight weeks at a time. Volunteers are paired up with a participant, hopefully for the duration of the session. The children in our program do not need prior tennis knowledge as our curriculum & volunteers support each child’s individual abilities and needs!