Meet Beau Blackwood, Hope For Three’s Autism All-Star for April 2020!

At just 2½ years old Beau was diagnosed on the spectrum and with childhood apraxia of speech by age 3. At age 4 Beau was diagnosed with severe autism however his severe issues with speech and language were significantly compounded by his apraxia. Now at age 14, Beau is now considered moderate on the spectrum. Although he still has articulation and social communication issues, he continues to show great improvement in his communication skills and abilities.

Beau loves going to school and is currently a 7th grader at Bowie Middle School. He enjoys socializing, being around his peers, and he never meets a stranger. He is noted as being extremely gifted at math and technology. He enjoys participating in several extracurricular activities weekly including playing piano, which he can play by ear, horseback riding therapy, and ice-skating therapy. Beau is involved in multiple sports such as playing Challenger basketball, baseball, and football, and is also a cheerleader.

Beau has been cheering since he was just 4 years old. He currently cheers at Apex Cheer on team Highlights. Beau is a diehard Apex athlete who loves the social interactions he has with his teammates and especially his coaches. Beau’s service dog, Lily, is the official mascot for the Highlights. Lily performs with Beau and his team on stage at all competitions. Beau consistently arrives at practices and competitions with a positive attitude and an eagerness to work hard and develop new skills. He demonstrates passion and heart in all that he does. Coach Steven Medley and Jr. Coach Samantha Blackwood stated that their favorite memory of Beau is when Beau first learned to perform his entire cheer routine by himself without any help from the coaches. At the end of his performance he was clapping and celebrating his accomplishment with great pride. He will very proudly tell you that he is “APEX.”

Beau is living proof that the only limits we have are the limits we place upon ourselves. This is what makes Beau an Autism All-Star!!