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Natick’s Doug Flutie entertained Annual Meeting attendees with stories from his football career – including his iconic Hail Mary pass for Boston College and drop-kick extra point with the New England Patriots in his final game – while also trying to raise awareness about the growing prevalence of autism.
Speaking at the Friday night dinner on Jan. 21, Flutie, who has an autistic son, said the condition has reached epidemic proportions. When Flutie and his wife started the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism in 1998, he said, approximately one in 2,000 children was being diagnosed with autism.
“Today, in Massachusetts, more than one out of a hundred – more than 1 percent of children – are being diagnosed with autism,” he said. “And it’s one in 80 boys.”
Autism is a disability that affects development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. It is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders; another is Asperger’s disorder.
Flutie said his foundation (www.dougflutiejrfoundation.org) raises money for organizations that provide services, grants, education and advocacy to help people with autism and their families. Its fund-raising events, including a bowling tournament, golf tournament, road race and basketball tournament, draw a large number of local sports celebrities.
“I never realized until we got involved in our charity work how many giving individuals there are,” he said. “The people that show up and donate, bidding on auction items – the celebrity types, athletes in the community, that show up for you on a regular basis. It’s really been amazing to see.
“We’re going on 12 years, and we’ve raised $12 million to $13 million. And we really feel like we’ve made a difference in the community.”
The foundation offers tutoring programs and recreational programs such as water sports and horseback riding. It also donates touch-screen computers to families with autistic children.
In response to a question from an audience member who has a child with Asperger’s disorder, Flutie advised parents to be patient with their affected children.
“The biggest problem with Asperger’s is, because the kids are a little more high-functioning, not all of their peers realize there’s an issue going on,” he said, “And so children with Asperger’s can be ridiculed a little more. They can have some emotional issues.”
Flutie said that, despite the challenges presented by raising an autistic child, he and his wife would never consider putting “Dougie,” who’s 19 years old, in a special care facility.
“This is our son,” he said. “He brings joy to our life. He lights up our day with a smile.
“He’s the happiest kid going. He’s got us all beat. I mean, my wife and I want to take a Dougie pill some days and just chill out and not worry about stressing out.”
Flutie is one of the most accomplished athletes ever to come out of Massachusetts. He was a proficient quarterback at Natick High School, Boston College, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, and the short-lived United States Football League, where he played on a team that was owned by Donald Trump.
He won the Heisman Trophy in college and several Player of the Year awards as a pro. His professional career included two stints with the New England Patriots, and Flutie had high praise for the organization, coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady, whom he called “an intellectual who happens to play football.”
Brady “takes receivers who would just be average Joes for other teams,” he said, “and they’re superstars with the Patriots.”