Love Serving Autism

Summary

Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix, founder of Love Serving Autism and a certified speech-language pathologist and tennis teaching professional, discusses how to teach racket sports to neurodivergent athletes (autism spectrum, ADHD, ADD, and other developmental challenges). The conversation covers modified coaching techniques, the gap in coaching education around adaptive instruction, inclusive tournament settings, and the growing prevalence of neurodivergence in youth sports.

Guest Background

Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix was a top-ranked junior in the South and Florida (#1 in 14s, 16s, 18s in Florida). She played at Duke (1 year) and University of Florida (3 years), winning the NCAA championship her senior year (1996). After brief time on the WTA tour and back surgery for spinal stenosis, she became a certified speech-language pathologist specializing in autism. She is a USPTA certified teaching professional, married to USPTA Master Pro Kyle LaCroix. She founded Love Serving Autism in 2017 and chairs the USTA National Adaptive Committee’s training and education subcommittee. She also leads the USPTA National Adaptive Task Force.

Key Topics

• Statistics driving urgency: 1 in 36 U.S. children diagnosed with autism by age 8. 1 in 6 children have a developmental delay. This is no longer a niche topic — every community coach will encounter neurodivergent players.
• Key modifications for neurodivergent athletes:
  • Use red dot/orange training balls to slow the game and increase processing time
  • Visual schedules and picture communication boards instead of verbal-heavy instruction
  • Simplified, concise language — less speech, more gestures and visual cues
  • Neurodivergent learners process visually faster than auditorily
• Coaching education gap: Neither USPTA nor PTR certification programs include adaptive coaching curriculum. Pugliese-LaCroix says this is beginning to change but hasn’t arrived yet. She is personally training coaches across the U.S. through USTA sections.
• Inclusion success story: A Love Serving Autism graduate transitioned to a mainstream yellow-ball clinic. Initial failure (air balls) and public embarrassment in front of peers. After the coach learned he was on the spectrum, adjustments were made. The neurotypical kids became his biggest supporters — “they were cheering him on.”
• Parent sensitivity on both sides: Parents of neurotypical kids sometimes object to neurodivergent players “slowing down” their child’s class. Parents of neurodivergent kids often don’t disclose diagnoses, wanting their child to be included without labels. Coaches need to navigate this diplomatically.
• Tournament integration challenges: Neurodivergent players may struggle with scorekeeping, emotional regulation after missed shots, or processing speed. Tournament directors and opponents’ families need education. USTA runs a National Adaptive Championship with unified doubles (neurotypical partner + adaptive player).
• Three buckets of adaptive tennis: Cognitive (autism, intellectual disability), Physical (wheelchair, standing adaptive), Social-emotional (PTSD, veterans programs).
• Love Serving Autism operations: Active in ~15 states. Programs use therapeutic instruction integrating communication, motor coordination, life skills, and behavior. Community service volunteer opportunities for neurotypical juniors.

Actionable Advice for Families

1. If you have a neurodivergent child, communicate with the coach — share what accommodations work in school/home so the coach can adapt on court. Don’t withhold information hoping the child will “blend in.”
2. Coaches should approach parents positively: Start with what the child does well, then ask for suggestions about specific behaviors observed on court. Never assume a diagnosis.
3. Use the court as therapy: The tennis court can reinforce communication, motor coordination, and life skills for neurodivergent children — it’s not just about tennis outcomes.
4. Neurotypical families: see the bigger picture: Your child playing with or against a neurodivergent opponent is a life lesson in empathy and inclusion. Children are often more naturally accepting than their parents.
5. Volunteer opportunities: Love Serving Autism offers structured volunteering for junior players (community service hours) — a way to build character and give back while staying connected to tennis.
6. Every coach needs adaptive training: With 1 in 36 children on the autism spectrum, this is not optional knowledge for anyone coaching juniors.

INTENNSE Relevance

• Adaptive tennis as growth segment: The expanding adaptive tennis market (clinics, tournaments, coaching certification) represents an underserved but growing segment of the tennis ecosystem that INTENNSE should track
• USTA committee structure: Pugliese-LaCroix’s dual roles on USTA National Adaptive Committee and USPTA Adaptive Task Force provide insight into how governing bodies are (slowly) addressing inclusion
• Coaching certification gaps: The absence of adaptive curriculum in USPTA/PTR certifications is another data point in INTENNSE’s ongoing coverage of coaching education deficiencies
• Nonprofit model in tennis: Love Serving Autism’s growth from a single afterschool program to 15 states demonstrates the scalability of mission-driven tennis organizations
• Inclusion as brand differentiator: Facilities and programs that lead on inclusion could differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive youth sports market

Notable Quotes

“One in 36 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism by the age of eight. So that’s a huge number. All coaches need some type of training in this.”

“I’m happiest doing this than I was winning matches. I feel like this is bigger to me than that.”

“If you think about it, teaching your child how to succeed off court is just as important as on court.”