This is great! I wish I could be there. Keep it up Dave!
Hi. My sister publishes a directory in Florida for families with Children who have Special Needs. It is full of information, services and articles for and about special needs children. I told her about your post and she asked me to have you contact her. Her name is Allie and her directory is called Bright Feats. You can find it online at Brightfeats.com. She thought you might like to share this info in her magazine. You can email her through the website: brightfeats.com
My son yo-yos and has been yo-yoing for several years. He is not autistic, but even so, the benefit he has received personally from yo-yoing has been tremendous. I believe in your idea and know that great things will come from it!! Good luck!!
This is such a wondeful an heartwarming endeavor! Wish I could help in anyway possible! Thank you for what youâre doing 
If youâre doing this event anywhere near Sacramento, California, let me know. Iâll offer world class sound services for the event. Since I own the gear, my only out of pocket costs are diesel and gaf tape.
Boston is a little far for me to come. But I would love to help in anyway possible. Let me know if you come near northern PA. I always feel bad for kids with autism or some form because I wanna help but I have no way to. But now I at least have something to try! Thank you.
I love this! Not that so many people have special needs, but the way all of us are supporting each other! My name is Eli, and my older brother has a mellow add, but this is truly inspiring. Sensei Dave, you are a true hero to those with special needs. I am truly inspired.
-Eli
This is amazing, what if this leads to a cure to autism?
Iâve said it once and Iâll say it again, Eli Hops is a great movement.
I doubt that yoyos will ever lead to a cure to austism, but it may provide a method for giving some relief.
This is great! I say you should do the next one at 2012 worlds.
Unfortunately a cure isnât ever a realistic possibility. Autism is kind of like a different wiring for the brain. Imagine you have a pro yoyo manufacturer and a novice yoyo maker. Give them both the same picture and tell them to make the yoyo. Both will make the yoyo and while the pros will make a perfectly balanced and machined skill toy, the novice will make a beautiful hand made one. The pro spins perfect, no vibe, and plays over-all nicely. The novice made may or may not have a slight vibe, and will be just okay at some things while really excelling at others. Its not perfect but its still a great throw.
Think of Autism as that hand made yoyo. Both achieved the same end, a yoyo, but each took a vastly different path to get to that end. The pro was faster and more efficient but with less âpersonalityâ.
Autistics try to achieve the same things as neuro-typical people, they just have to take a very different path to get there. Looked at in the right light, Autism can be beautiful. Just like a nice hand made yoyo. It will never be perfect or ânormalâ, but it is still a heck of a lot of fun to play.
To cure Autism would mean to change the way the brain functions, and that isnât something I ever hope to see. You are who you are, your challenges are unique to yourself and that shapes who you are. Autistic kids just needs some extra help is all. No parent would ever say there was anything wrong with them, just different - and beautiful.
You were 100% false diagnosed.
actually, things like this do happen. someone i know was crazy autistic. after a while, (like, 7 or so years after diagnosis) was no longer autistic
I know what you mean. It actually happened to me in a sense. if you want to say I had mild âTouretteâsâ you could because I had bad OCD and a couple tics. Grew out of all of it. Asperger syndrome is usually mistaken with Autism visa versa with children. I would think itâs that. Itâs just a fact you cannot grow out of Autism. You can get better with therapy etc but you cannot grow out of it.
Hello everyone!
I promised a big update on the first of the month and here it is! The Eli Hops Foundation is holding bi-monthly raffles! Here is a chance for you to win some sweet swag all in the name of a good cause!
All the prizes are graciously donated by various toy/skill toy companies, local crafters, and businesses that want to be a part of the Eli Hops cause.
âHow does it workâ you ask? Well here is the really fun part! This is also the simultaneous release of the new Eli Hops Foundation Blog! Details on how to purchase raffle tickets will be found on the blog, as well as detailed information about the prizes up for grabs every other month! We already have amazing donations from some major skill toy companies and more are on the way soon!
The first raffle will be drawn at the end of September and will be awarded in October. The raffle officially starts as soon as the new EHB (Eli Hops Blog) posts the information!
The link to the new EHB is www.EliHops.WordPress.com and the first post is already up and running! Go there now and enjoy!
Dave Herrera
Eli Hops Foundation
Hi
My name is Daniel From Australia , I Am Autistic As well and I Love My Yoyos , Yoyos have Helped Me Through My Journey With Autism , so Much That My dad Is Helping Me With My Own Online Yoyo Shop.
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Good luck bud. My son is on the spectrum also. Heâs the greatest gift I have ever received.
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Thank u Chris.
Daniel Hooper
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does anybody know whatever happened to the Eli Hops Foundation and Dave Herrera(the guy that started this thread 11 years ago?
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From trying to look up the website, facebook and instagram, there was a severe medical emergency that wasnât really elaborated on, and then poof, dissapeared.
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He recently stopped by A2Z and bought a FH1 aluminum! So I know he is around. 
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