| CASTING FOR AUTISM with FLW pro Nicky McNeely |
| Nicky McNeely FLW Touring Pro & loving Dad! |
| Casting for Autism is an awareness outreach program started by FLW angler Nicky McNeely. As the father of a child with Autism, Nicky has chosen to use his status as a professional fisherman to make others aware of this developmental disorder which affects 1 in 150 children in the United States. Watch this page for updates and links on Autism research, news, and events. |
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| LINKS OF INTEREST: |
My son, Christopher, was born in February 2005. Although he was a very healthy & happy baby, we came to realize
that there was something different about him. At the age of 1, Christopher was still non-verbal and what we called
“quirky”. Shortly before his second birthday, my wife, who was 29 weeks pregnant, was hospitalized in Shreveport.
She remained there until the birth of our identical twin daughters, Anna & Abby. The girls were born at 34 weeks,
weighed 4 lbs 1 oz and 3 lbs 12 oz. and spent the next 31 days in the NICU. Christopher was now 2, not meeting his
developmental milestones and we had no explanation as to why. This was an extremely difficult time for our family.
With 3 small children at home it is extremely hard to find the time to pursue my fishing career, but in September of
2007 I earned a guaranteed entry into the FLW Stren Series by winning the Louisiana TBF qualifier. This was the
beginning of my professional career but I had so many things going on at home. Also in September of 2007,
Christopher was finally diagnosed with autism.
We immediately enrolled him in a school-based program for special needs children. We then desperately tried to find
a local speech therapist. But with precious time ticking away we eventually began driving him twice a week to
Shreveport for speech and occupational therapy.
In January 2008, I entered my first FLW Stren Series tournament in Zapata, Texas and took home 3rd place. I had a 4
day total weight of 105 lbs 9 oz. I also won the Snickers Big Bass catching the 4th largest bass in FLW tournament
history weighing in at 12 lbs 13 oz. These results put me on radio shows, newspapers, and magazine articles including
the May/June issue of FLW magazine. We quickly realized that this could be a great opportunity to promote autism
awareness. I teamed up with Image One Studios of Jackson, MS to design the “Casting for Autism” wrap that is on my
Ranger Z21 boat. The wrap was thankfully sponsored by my employer, Roy O Martin Companies.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same success at my next 2 tournaments. My first priority is my family. Every time I
head out to practice or to fish a tournament, I know that I am leaving my wife home alone with 3 very small children.
Between the both of us having fulltime careers, my fishing, two 1 year olds, and trying to get Christopher to therapy
appointments, there just isn’t a lot of spare time to prepare for tournaments.
Christopher is now 3 and attending an 8-week program at the Autism Learning Center in Monroe. In order for him to
attend, we must drive him there 4 days a week for class from 8:30 until 11:30. By the second week of the program, he
said “I dove you” for the first time. It will definitely be worth it when I hear my son say, “Take me fishing Daddy”.
Today, 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. For male children, the numbers are 1 in
94. These numbers are growing 10-17% annually. Resources for families dealing with autism are limited especially if
you live in a small town. The cost of putting your autistic child in these programs and the traveling that can be involved
is astronomical. We feel very fortunate to be able to seek out and get therapies for our son but we know that there
are many families who don’t have the same resources.
Now with the autism wrap on my boat, I am amazed at the number of people that approach me at gas stations, marinas,
and even on the water who are affected by autism. While fishing on Lake Texoma, the father of an autistic child
walked down to the edge of the water & flagged me down to discuss the message on my boat and to share his story
with me.
Equally amazing, is the number of people who know nothing about autism. When we were sharing our concerns
regarding Christopher with our pediatrician we were continually told to “give him time” and “let’s wait and see”. Today,
pediatricians are beginning to screen babies as early as 6 months of age. Early diagnosis and early intervention are
the keys to a good outcome for a child with autism.
I feel that the “Casting for Autism” wrap has been a huge success. There is something comforting about sharing words
of hope with other families who are affected by this devastating disorder. Earlier this year, The Natchitoches Area
Chapter of The Autism Society of America was formed and we had our 1st Annual Awareness Walk in April.
I recently read an article in BASS magazine about another angler, Eli Delany, who has a son with autism. He has
recruited the help of BASS, Mercury Marine, and Gamma to help promote autism awareness. BASS Elite Series touring
pro, Kelly Jordon, helped Eli get these folks onboard. Thank you Kelly!
I challenge FLW, Ranger, Yamaha Marine and others in the fishing industry to get involved and help families struggling
through the challenges of autism.
I would like to thank James E Hester and Steve Graf for giving us the opportunity to share our story on the Hook'n Up
and Track'n Down website and radio broadcast.
Nicky McNeely
Natchitoches, LA
nickymcneely@bellsouth.net
nicky.mcneely@royomartin.com
that there was something different about him. At the age of 1, Christopher was still non-verbal and what we called
“quirky”. Shortly before his second birthday, my wife, who was 29 weeks pregnant, was hospitalized in Shreveport.
She remained there until the birth of our identical twin daughters, Anna & Abby. The girls were born at 34 weeks,
weighed 4 lbs 1 oz and 3 lbs 12 oz. and spent the next 31 days in the NICU. Christopher was now 2, not meeting his
developmental milestones and we had no explanation as to why. This was an extremely difficult time for our family.
With 3 small children at home it is extremely hard to find the time to pursue my fishing career, but in September of
2007 I earned a guaranteed entry into the FLW Stren Series by winning the Louisiana TBF qualifier. This was the
beginning of my professional career but I had so many things going on at home. Also in September of 2007,
Christopher was finally diagnosed with autism.
We immediately enrolled him in a school-based program for special needs children. We then desperately tried to find
a local speech therapist. But with precious time ticking away we eventually began driving him twice a week to
Shreveport for speech and occupational therapy.
In January 2008, I entered my first FLW Stren Series tournament in Zapata, Texas and took home 3rd place. I had a 4
day total weight of 105 lbs 9 oz. I also won the Snickers Big Bass catching the 4th largest bass in FLW tournament
history weighing in at 12 lbs 13 oz. These results put me on radio shows, newspapers, and magazine articles including
the May/June issue of FLW magazine. We quickly realized that this could be a great opportunity to promote autism
awareness. I teamed up with Image One Studios of Jackson, MS to design the “Casting for Autism” wrap that is on my
Ranger Z21 boat. The wrap was thankfully sponsored by my employer, Roy O Martin Companies.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same success at my next 2 tournaments. My first priority is my family. Every time I
head out to practice or to fish a tournament, I know that I am leaving my wife home alone with 3 very small children.
Between the both of us having fulltime careers, my fishing, two 1 year olds, and trying to get Christopher to therapy
appointments, there just isn’t a lot of spare time to prepare for tournaments.
Christopher is now 3 and attending an 8-week program at the Autism Learning Center in Monroe. In order for him to
attend, we must drive him there 4 days a week for class from 8:30 until 11:30. By the second week of the program, he
said “I dove you” for the first time. It will definitely be worth it when I hear my son say, “Take me fishing Daddy”.
Today, 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. For male children, the numbers are 1 in
94. These numbers are growing 10-17% annually. Resources for families dealing with autism are limited especially if
you live in a small town. The cost of putting your autistic child in these programs and the traveling that can be involved
is astronomical. We feel very fortunate to be able to seek out and get therapies for our son but we know that there
are many families who don’t have the same resources.
Now with the autism wrap on my boat, I am amazed at the number of people that approach me at gas stations, marinas,
and even on the water who are affected by autism. While fishing on Lake Texoma, the father of an autistic child
walked down to the edge of the water & flagged me down to discuss the message on my boat and to share his story
with me.
Equally amazing, is the number of people who know nothing about autism. When we were sharing our concerns
regarding Christopher with our pediatrician we were continually told to “give him time” and “let’s wait and see”. Today,
pediatricians are beginning to screen babies as early as 6 months of age. Early diagnosis and early intervention are
the keys to a good outcome for a child with autism.
I feel that the “Casting for Autism” wrap has been a huge success. There is something comforting about sharing words
of hope with other families who are affected by this devastating disorder. Earlier this year, The Natchitoches Area
Chapter of The Autism Society of America was formed and we had our 1st Annual Awareness Walk in April.
I recently read an article in BASS magazine about another angler, Eli Delany, who has a son with autism. He has
recruited the help of BASS, Mercury Marine, and Gamma to help promote autism awareness. BASS Elite Series touring
pro, Kelly Jordon, helped Eli get these folks onboard. Thank you Kelly!
I challenge FLW, Ranger, Yamaha Marine and others in the fishing industry to get involved and help families struggling
through the challenges of autism.
I would like to thank James E Hester and Steve Graf for giving us the opportunity to share our story on the Hook'n Up
and Track'n Down website and radio broadcast.
Nicky McNeely
Natchitoches, LA
nickymcneely@bellsouth.net
nicky.mcneely@royomartin.com
| A Word from Nicky: |
| Pictured above is Christopher McNeely, the inspiration behind "Casting For Autism". Christopher is a testament to the fact that there is hope for kids with this disorder. Please feel free to share your own stories or to ask questions by e-mailing castingforautism@hookandtrackradio.com |