Autistic adults play ball at St. Joseph’s gym

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Mary Beth Walsh is the mother of Ben Hack, who is 24-years-old and autistic.

Walsh was trying to find something in the local area that Ben could enjoy, as he was getting older and aging out of his programs for young adults.

Walsh approached Gerry O’Connor, St. Joseph’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball athletic director and he said, “I guess I could do this. I’ve been coaching 35 years and run CYO programs for kids in parish; kids in first grade up to eighth grade.”

By Spring of 2022, the basketball clinic for adults with autism was up and running. They had the clinic again Autumn 2022, and the last one was held Spring 2023.

“It was fun and rewarding,” said O’Connor.

Walsh raved about O’Connor as a coach, saying, “He’s extremely talented, building basketball skills. He’s a very generous guy; generous with his time.”

As for Ben, he gets out of the house and is able to hang out with his friends. “He loves basketball, and he loves Gerry O’Connor,” said Walsh.

The adults are almost all male and in their 20s; there is one woman who is 30. All have different levels of autism.

“They’re great,” said O’Connor. “The most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in sports. We keep it simple, but to see their smiles…some don’t smile, but knowing you’re their friend for an hour, that’s all they want. They’re just special.”

Because some of the adults are non-communicative, following directions is a challenge. “You wonder, ‘Are they listening to me?’ You try to get an answer or a smile. I’m not educated in this. I’m just doing this based on what I think is right. I did Google a couple things here and there. There wasn’t much out there. How am I going to get them to be successful, getting them to pass the ball and get it in? I can figure this out.”

While O’Connor feels that he’s not doing anything “earth-shattering” he’d like to see other parishes doing this. “We should be doing this for people that need our help,” he shared. “I’m fortunate to do something like this. They smile when they come in the gym. Maybe this will inspire someone to become a special ed teacher.”

In the beginning, O’Connor didn’t have much help, but now he has eight high school volunteers, who are former CYO players, assisting him. “For kids more severely affected with autism, processing language remains a challenge when they are adults. They [the assistants] figure out so quickly the most effective way to communicate,” said Walsh. “They use a lot of hand signals.” Another hurdle for those on the autism spectrum is sound sensitivity, but Walsh explained that with time and patience, they can enjoy themselves.

“They’re regular people,” O’Connor said. “They want to be loved. They want to be part of society. We love our little group.”

If you would like to learn more about starting a program for adults with autism, or if you are interested in enrolling someone in St. Joe’s basketball clinic for its fall season, please contact Gerry O’Connor at [email protected].