Eleven year-old Joseph kicked up the dust as he ran towards home plate to score. His parents, Paul and Pam Klaene, had to pinch themselves to believe what they were seeing was true.

It had been only a year since Joseph spent his first baseball season sitting in the outfield in a stroller, not out of physical necessity, but by choice.

"That first year, he seemed to just get pleasure out of watching the other children," says Pam. "Totally non-compliant, he'd silently sit out there in his little baseball cap and just look around."

By the time the next baseball season rolled around, Joseph was no longer content to just sit in the stroller. He was ready to run bases and throw balls.

Pam explains, "Following open heart surgery and a diagnosis of autism, outdoor athletic activity was totally foreign to Joseph. With no sports available to him, he spent much of his time with videos and computers."

Now she says, "I don't know if Joseph would be the same kid today without SACC. It was absolutely wonderful to find an organization that accepted him without reservation and provided the kind of recreation, exercise and friendship he needed."

As Joseph prepares to turn nineteen, his parents credit SACC with much of his progress.

"To see him today, you'd never know how he started out," says Pam. "Not only has SACC been a great confidence builder, but Joseph's interaction with others has been greatly enhanced. I would encourage any parent of an exceptional child to look into the SACC program TODAY."