Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix – Florida's First Choice for Autism Supports

Lisa is an Elite Certified Racquet Sports Professional and an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in autism. With over 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to evaluating and treating children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and unique abilities. A former collegiate tennis player at Duke University and a national champion with the University of Florida’s NCAA Tennis Team, Lisa has also competed in professional tournaments. She brings a unique blend of her extensive tennis background and speech therapy expertise to teaching therapeutic racquet sports to neurodivergent individuals. In January 2017, driven by her passion, Lisa founded Love Serving Autism, a 501(c)(3) organization, at the Palm Beach School for Autism, where she worked as a speech therapist. Love Serving Autism’s mission is to enrich the lives of neurodiverse individuals through racquet sports, enhancing physical fitness, social skills, and emotional well-being. The organization creates an inclusive and supportive environment by integrating therapeutic techniques into tennis and pickleball instruction, empowering neurodivergent individuals to thrive on and off the courts. Since 2021, Lisa has served as Chair of the Adaptive Training and Education Subcommittee for USTA National, where she contributed to developing the first adaptive tennis curriculum in the United States. She also leads the Racquet Sports Professional Association’s National Adaptive Task Force. Lisa’s dedication has earned her prestigious recognition, including the 2022 Eve Kraft Volunteer of the Year Award from the United States Tennis Association and the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Professional Tennis Registry.

Financial and Non-Financial Disclosure: I am the founder of Love Serving Autism and the Director of Programs & Clinical Services. Nonfinancial Chair of adaptive training and Education Subcommittee for USTA and Racquet Sports Professional Association.