Andrew Roberts - Sports blogger

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A love of sports has given 15-year-old Andrew Roberts of Northboro a career path; it’s also helped him embrace his strengths that stem from his autism.

Roberts, an Algonquin Regional High School freshman, gave a keynote speech Saturday on embracing your disability during the Visions of Community 2019 Conference hosted by the Federation for Children with Special Needs at the Seaport World Trade Center.

“I use my strong hyper-focusing skills and rules-governed nature to succeed in everyday life,” Roberts said. “I hope to be able to continue to succeed, whether it be as a sportscaster or in another role as I refuse to let my challenges define who I am. I am a budding sports journalist who just happens to be autistic.”

“I chose to keep to myself because I just found it difficult talking with peers,” Roberts told the Herald. “Like many on the autism spectrum, it is hard for me to initiate with new people but if you came up to me and asked me a question about the Red Sox or if I thought we’d have a snow day this week, I would definitely have something to say.”

Obsessions, Roberts said, can turn into opportunities.

“In the special education community, obsessions are seen as a bad thing that needs to be controlled,” he told the Herald. “But I’m encouraging people to embrace their obsessions and the other benefits of neurodiversity. You can find your passion and you can capitalize on it and it’ll be a lot easier for people on the spectrum to find jobs — which can be difficult.”

Roberts has since covered the Special Olympics in Seattle, appeared on NESN, is a “Flutie Fellow” with the Flutie Foundation and a writer for his school newspaper.

“I took my obsession of sports and writing through my blog and I turned it into a passion, and hopefully I can turn that into a career,” Roberts said. “All of my experiences came as a result of my sports blog, where I have turned my obsession into a potential career.

“I’m just looking to get some internship opportunities to get my foot in the door. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get into this business.”