Baseball Player With Autism Signed to Minor Leagues

Outfielder Tarik El-Abour—who was diagnosed with autism at age 3—recently signed with the Kansas City Royals. El-Abour joined the team for spring training and is playing in the club’s minor league. Several news outlets, along with the Kansas City Royals’ website, state that El-Abour is the first professional baseball player diagnosed with autism. We have signed outfielder Tarik El-Abour to a minor league contract. El-Abour has handled the challenges presented by autism now earning the opportunity to become a professional baseball player. His signing announcement coincides with tonight's Autism Awareness Night. pic.twitter.com/qzb7ACmXqm — Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 13, 2018 The 25-year-old Californian has loved baseball since before he started talking at age 6. He played baseball for Pacifica College, which became Bristol University. El-Abour then played for independent leagues, earning the Empire League’s Rookie of the Year award in 2016. An SLP takes people with communication disorders out to the ballgame. What accounts for high rates of language impairment in children with autism? Is autism overlooked in girls because signs are clearer in boys? Growing research says yes. A structured UPS training program helps young adults with autism prepare for life. Helping young adults with autism transition out of high school. Sports writer Jeffrey Flanagan interviewed Royals special advisor Reggie Sanders for an article on MLB.com about signing El-...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: News Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder social skils Source Type: blogs