DeVonne Parker is a Brass City man, and a basketball man at that.
He is also a behavioral therapist for the City of Waterbury, and in his work, he often deals with children who have autism. That’s where basketball and autism awareness become intertwined.
Parker is hosting the first “Alley Oop for Autism” Basketball Camp from Aug. 6-10 at Wilby High School. Those interested shoulder register by July 30 on the CT Rebound website. Parker is the founder of CT Rebound, and he serves as the 12U and 15U coach.
You can also register your child in person at Wilby on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The camp cost is $100.
Why do a basketball camp connected to autism? Parker has a very personal answer.
“I’m a behavioral therapist for the City of Waterbury and I work with children with autism, but one particular young man stands out to me as I worked with him for over 10 years,” Parker said. “He has inspired me to do more for kids with autism because of the lack of services available once they graduate from high school.”
That man is 22-year-old Julian Adorno, and Parker shared a Facebook post about their relationship.
“Julian is the main reason why I’m doing the Autism camp,” Parker wrote. “He has touched my life in so many ways. Never thought about going back to school to obtain my Master’s until I met him and his family. His parents are great examples of excellent people. They’re my family now and forever.”
Parker called the camp “a start” to raise money for kids with autism.
“I work with kids with autism and I thought it would be great to give back and help with services, “Parker said.
The camp will focus on offense, including dribbling, shooting, pick-and-rolls, foul shots, and so on. Parker’s biggest goal for the camp is to bring people together and raise awareness.
“As you know special ed students are integrated with regular students inside the school system,” Parker said. “This is a perfect opportunity for our players to continue to develop certain skills but also give back and understand the meaning of autism.”
