ACEing Autism
ACEing Autism, 2001 S. Barrington Ave., Suite 207, Los Angeles, CA 90025
About
ACEing Autism is a volunteer-driven non-profit program where children with autism play tennis. The program uses tennis as the central activity and connects individuals with autism through unique tennis programs.
ACEing Autism was founded in the summer of 2008 by Richard Spurling and Dr. Shafali Jeste in Boston, MA as a family-run organization. The Executive Director and Co-Founder is Richard Spurling, and the Director of Program Operations is Justin Belisario. The organization describes itself as a preeminent thought leader on how tennis positively impacts children with autism spectrum disorder.
The mission of ACEing Autism is to help children with autism grow through the sport of tennis. It focuses on affordable tennis programming, tailoring the program to the needs of each individual child with autism, and supporting children with autism to grow, develop, and benefit from social connections and fitness through tennis. ACEing Autism states that it is on a mission to fill a national void for this population.
ACEing Autism has over 200 locations nationwide and services over 6,000 children with autism across the country, with over 7,000 athletes across the country benefiting from social connections and fitness through its affordable tennis programming. In early 2010, Co-Founder Dr. Shafali Jeste was recruited to the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a center that has been a leader in autism research for decades. ACEing Autism Executive Director and Co-Founder Richard Spurling and Director of Program Operations Justin Belisario serve on a committee as thought leaders in the adaptive tennis community.
In 2013, Richard Spurling was honored with the USPTR’s Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work building ACEing Autism. In August 2014, ACEing Autism received the USTA’s Community Service Award, and in 2014 the USTA announced that ACEing Autism was awarded the USTA National Adaptive Tennis Community Service Award. 2023 marks the 15th year that ACEing Autism has been serving communities across the country.
Last updated June 11, 2026.
ACEing Autism was founded in the summer of 2008 by Richard Spurling and Dr. Shafali Jeste in Boston, MA as a family-run organization. The Executive Director and Co-Founder is Richard Spurling, and the Director of Program Operations is Justin Belisario. The organization describes itself as a preeminent thought leader on how tennis positively impacts children with autism spectrum disorder.
The mission of ACEing Autism is to help children with autism grow through the sport of tennis. It focuses on affordable tennis programming, tailoring the program to the needs of each individual child with autism, and supporting children with autism to grow, develop, and benefit from social connections and fitness through tennis. ACEing Autism states that it is on a mission to fill a national void for this population.
ACEing Autism has over 200 locations nationwide and services over 6,000 children with autism across the country, with over 7,000 athletes across the country benefiting from social connections and fitness through its affordable tennis programming. In early 2010, Co-Founder Dr. Shafali Jeste was recruited to the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a center that has been a leader in autism research for decades. ACEing Autism Executive Director and Co-Founder Richard Spurling and Director of Program Operations Justin Belisario serve on a committee as thought leaders in the adaptive tennis community.
In 2013, Richard Spurling was honored with the USPTR’s Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work building ACEing Autism. In August 2014, ACEing Autism received the USTA’s Community Service Award, and in 2014 the USTA announced that ACEing Autism was awarded the USTA National Adaptive Tennis Community Service Award. 2023 marks the 15th year that ACEing Autism has been serving communities across the country.
Last updated June 11, 2026.
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