As I begin writing this piece, I’d like to make a request. If any of you hate women, people of color, disabled people, or the LGBT community, don’t read this article or any of my other articles, for that matter. My purpose in writing is to spread peace, love, and positivity. What you are about to read is another example of my efforts to make peace in the world.

If I’ve heard these things said once, I’ve heard them told a hundred times: “He can’t play basketball.” “What if he becomes disruptive?” “She doesn’t respond well to social cues.” “He can’t handle the screaming from the crowd.”

Those are just a few examples of what happens when those with autism try to play sports. Parents don’t want their kids to be taken advantage of, to be disruptive, to be anxious, or to be sad because of what’s called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

FROM MEDLINE PLUS: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life. It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. It includes what used to be known as Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. It is called a spectrum disorder because people with ASD can have a range of symptoms. People with ASD might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you speak to them. They may also have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. They may spend a lot of time putting things in order, or they may say the same sentence again and again. They may often seem to be in their ‘own world.’

Athletes on the spectrum address the stigma surrounding autism–not just by what they say, but how they perform athletically. As an athlete with autism myself, I’ve been inspired by autistic athletes. They’ve helped me achieve in sports and other parts of my life. Here are five examples.

Clay Marzo: Surfer Clay Marzo has been misdiagnosed multiple times with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and so many other disabilities–before he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism when he was 18 years of age. But whatever it was didn’t stop him. Marzo has been featured on ESPN, had a story written about him in Rolling Stone, and had a documentary made about his life, Just Add Water. It’s still hard for this surfer to meet new people, but he’s building a legacy in the sport of surfing.

Tommy Des Brisay: If you hear a runner sing a Disney song or recite a line from a movie during a race, then that runner is likely to be Tommy Des Brisay. When he was five years of aga, doctors told his parents that De Brisay would never be able to speak because of Asperger’s. Those doctors were wrong. Des Brisay did learn to speak, and he has done a lot more, too. He’s a runner, a marathon runner, to be specific, and a championship runner, too. His half-marathon time is 1:14:55, which is a pretty big accomplishment. He is accomplished in other sports, too, such as kayaking and cross-country skiing.

Jim Eisenreich: In 1984, MLB player Jim Eisenreich almost quit professional baseball because of Asperger’s and Tourette’s Syndrome. But he didn’t give up. In 1987, Eisenreich made a comeback with the Kansas City Royals. He was named the Royals’ Most Valuable Player that year, and he went on to enjoy a 15-year career, which included playing on the Marlins’ World Championship team of 1997.

Jessica-Jane Applegate: Swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate has earned 24 gold medals, achieved 11 British records, and has a World Record to her name for the 100-meter butterfly race–all earned before she was 18 years of age. Applegate was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 13 years, but that didn’t discourage her from her first love–swimming. She was the first disabled athlete to win Gold at the Paralympics. And in 2013, she was named Member of The Order of The British Empire for her contributions to the sport and athletes everywhere.

David Campion: Snowboarder David Campion represented his home country of Australia in the 2017 Special Olympic Winter Games–only the second snowboarder to be selected to represent Australia. His mother encouraged David to snowboard when he was young, and with successes he achieved later, David could very well change his name to “Champion.”

The name of ‘Champion’ suits all five athletes quite well–no matter whether they had autism or not. But since they did, they’ve done so much to address the stigma surrounding autism, including for athletes just like me.

But, sadly, many people with autism aren’t allowed to compete because of what others see as ‘a disability.” Parents and coaches worry that autistic people will be disruptive. Call it what you want–stereotypical, discriminative, pigeonholing, or typecasting–but, whatever it’s called, the attitude denies kids with autism an opportunity to grow and succeed.

Learning social cues isn’t easy for anyone, not just those of us with autism. Just give us a chance. We’ll take it from there.

 

(Originally published in The Sports Column in 2019: https://www.thesportscol.com/2019/10/about-autism-and-sports-from-somebody-who-knows/ )

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