Carter's Story
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When Carter was born it was blissful! We were so happy to finally have our son. Everything seemed perfect. Carter met all his developmental milestones without any problems, and he seemed to be growing and adjusting like a “normal” happy baby boy. It was not until Carter was about 10 months old when his doctor first diagnosed him with Asperger's Syndrome.
At first, I completely denied the doctor’s diagnosis because we did not believe it was possible to diagnose him with Asperger’s Syndrome at such a young age. As a mother, I just kept thinking what I could have possibly done wrong to cause my son to receive this diagnosis. I began to blame myself for his condition and wrapped myself in a blanket of denial.
After further research, I finally began to think that maybe his doctor could be right. Carter exhibited all the common symptoms for babies on the autistic spectrum. His symptoms included:
Even though all the symptoms were there, I was still in denial. How could such a young baby be diagnosed with something as life changing as autism? It was still hard for me to allow his doctor to label my son as autistic. His pediatrician tried to reassure me of his diagnosis by explaining that Carter's symptoms were similar to his own. He disclosed to me that he himself was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and that a lot of the behaviors that Carter demonstrated were very familiar to him. He continued to explain to me that Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of high functioning autism.
It wasn't until Carter was about 12 months old that I finally accepted his diagnosis and allowed him to begin treatment. He started all the intensive therapies that were recommended by his doctor. He began speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy twice a week for 4 years. Our entire life revolved around all of Carter's therapy sessions and providing him with the assistance he needed to grow and develop into the best version of himself. This included supportive psychotherapy for me.
When Carter turned five-years-old his therapy sessions were discontinued, I was told, they were no longer deemed medically necessary, and he began kindergarten. Carter continued to struggle with his symptoms and became very aggressive at school. He would fight, hit his teachers, and even attempt to leave school grounds. I was frequently called to come to his school to calm him down. During this time, his doctor recommended that Carter should be put on medication to help him manage his behavior. For three years, I rejected all the medication that was recommended.
From age 5 to 7 we enrolled Carter into sports to build social skills. He tried soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, and football. He successfully completed each season of all four sports, however, would tell me that he did not want to play the sport anymore.
When Carter was eight, I received a call from his school that changed everything. Carter was having a very rough day and was unable to contain his emotions. He was unhappy with how he was being treated by his peers and told his teacher that if one more thing went wrong in his day, he was going to kill himself!
It was heartbreaking to hear his teacher tell me what happened. My son’s sadness, anger and unhappiness were completely out of my and his control. I did not know he was beginning to have such distressing thoughts. I began to think that maybe this could have been avoided if I were more open minded to other solutions for his emotional, and behavior management. It was then that I decided to follow the doctor's recommendations and have him assessed by a psychiatrist for medication management.
As difficult as it was, putting him on medication, it improved his life and behavior. Carter made the honor roll for the first time! He was able to concentrate, he said and he no longer had invasive negative thoughts or physical altercations at school. It felt like he finally gotten to a place of peace and balance.
Shortly after, Carter was able to express that he wanted to play sports, he just did not want to play a sport where other people would touch him. We enrolled him in no-contact sports to help him become more sociable. It helped Carter tremendously! He began playing tennis and golf, which he now loves. Golf helps Carter focus on something that he is good at and for him that is the most rewarding feeling in the world!
Helping Carter meant finding what soothed him. Using his symptoms and focusing his skills on activities that sparked his interest helped him to gain better emotion regulation. We allowed him to indulge in his obsessive fixations, high energy, and desire to play with others (yet still solo) by choosing sports where his cations alone controlled his outcome. We began to see positive change and him heal! The use of non-contact sports, 1-on-1 activities, traditional psychotherapy sessions and non-traditional therapies proved to be affective in Carter's social-emotional developmental progression.
Because Carter still struggles with impulse control, and social-awkwardness, he began to develop anxiety about his future. "If people do not want to be my friend, who will ever hire me?" he asked me.
Watching me as an entrepreneur sparked the same drive in him. He asked if he could open his own business. I told him sure he could, when he grew up. He then ask, why he had to wait until he was an adult to start a business. "I'm ready now" he said. I told him he was right! He did not have to wait. He could start a business now, he just needed to decide what he wanted to do and develop a business plan. After many ideas that were not feasible, Carter is the proud owner of Spectrum Golf, a company dedicated to providing quality golf apparel and inspiring others to embrace their differences and work hard to achieve their dreams.
Thank you for reading Carter's story.
Sincerely,
Carter's MOM - Dr. Thelma Tennie
At first, I completely denied the doctor’s diagnosis because we did not believe it was possible to diagnose him with Asperger’s Syndrome at such a young age. As a mother, I just kept thinking what I could have possibly done wrong to cause my son to receive this diagnosis. I began to blame myself for his condition and wrapped myself in a blanket of denial.
After further research, I finally began to think that maybe his doctor could be right. Carter exhibited all the common symptoms for babies on the autistic spectrum. His symptoms included:
- Delayed speech and language skills
- Not responding to his name by his first birthday
- Not using common gestures (pointing or waving) and not responding to them
- Avoiding or rejecting physical contact
- Exhibited repetitive behaviors such as hand-flapping or rocking
- Excessive fixations on certain activities, routines, or objects
- Extreme sensitivity to touch, light, and sound
Even though all the symptoms were there, I was still in denial. How could such a young baby be diagnosed with something as life changing as autism? It was still hard for me to allow his doctor to label my son as autistic. His pediatrician tried to reassure me of his diagnosis by explaining that Carter's symptoms were similar to his own. He disclosed to me that he himself was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and that a lot of the behaviors that Carter demonstrated were very familiar to him. He continued to explain to me that Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of high functioning autism.
It wasn't until Carter was about 12 months old that I finally accepted his diagnosis and allowed him to begin treatment. He started all the intensive therapies that were recommended by his doctor. He began speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy twice a week for 4 years. Our entire life revolved around all of Carter's therapy sessions and providing him with the assistance he needed to grow and develop into the best version of himself. This included supportive psychotherapy for me.
When Carter turned five-years-old his therapy sessions were discontinued, I was told, they were no longer deemed medically necessary, and he began kindergarten. Carter continued to struggle with his symptoms and became very aggressive at school. He would fight, hit his teachers, and even attempt to leave school grounds. I was frequently called to come to his school to calm him down. During this time, his doctor recommended that Carter should be put on medication to help him manage his behavior. For three years, I rejected all the medication that was recommended.
From age 5 to 7 we enrolled Carter into sports to build social skills. He tried soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, and football. He successfully completed each season of all four sports, however, would tell me that he did not want to play the sport anymore.
When Carter was eight, I received a call from his school that changed everything. Carter was having a very rough day and was unable to contain his emotions. He was unhappy with how he was being treated by his peers and told his teacher that if one more thing went wrong in his day, he was going to kill himself!
It was heartbreaking to hear his teacher tell me what happened. My son’s sadness, anger and unhappiness were completely out of my and his control. I did not know he was beginning to have such distressing thoughts. I began to think that maybe this could have been avoided if I were more open minded to other solutions for his emotional, and behavior management. It was then that I decided to follow the doctor's recommendations and have him assessed by a psychiatrist for medication management.
As difficult as it was, putting him on medication, it improved his life and behavior. Carter made the honor roll for the first time! He was able to concentrate, he said and he no longer had invasive negative thoughts or physical altercations at school. It felt like he finally gotten to a place of peace and balance.
Shortly after, Carter was able to express that he wanted to play sports, he just did not want to play a sport where other people would touch him. We enrolled him in no-contact sports to help him become more sociable. It helped Carter tremendously! He began playing tennis and golf, which he now loves. Golf helps Carter focus on something that he is good at and for him that is the most rewarding feeling in the world!
Helping Carter meant finding what soothed him. Using his symptoms and focusing his skills on activities that sparked his interest helped him to gain better emotion regulation. We allowed him to indulge in his obsessive fixations, high energy, and desire to play with others (yet still solo) by choosing sports where his cations alone controlled his outcome. We began to see positive change and him heal! The use of non-contact sports, 1-on-1 activities, traditional psychotherapy sessions and non-traditional therapies proved to be affective in Carter's social-emotional developmental progression.
Because Carter still struggles with impulse control, and social-awkwardness, he began to develop anxiety about his future. "If people do not want to be my friend, who will ever hire me?" he asked me.
Watching me as an entrepreneur sparked the same drive in him. He asked if he could open his own business. I told him sure he could, when he grew up. He then ask, why he had to wait until he was an adult to start a business. "I'm ready now" he said. I told him he was right! He did not have to wait. He could start a business now, he just needed to decide what he wanted to do and develop a business plan. After many ideas that were not feasible, Carter is the proud owner of Spectrum Golf, a company dedicated to providing quality golf apparel and inspiring others to embrace their differences and work hard to achieve their dreams.
Thank you for reading Carter's story.
Sincerely,
Carter's MOM - Dr. Thelma Tennie
Carter and mom 2024
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Carter and mom 2020
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Carter's Bio
Carter Bonas is a rising young PGA Jr. golfer, author, and entrepreneur on the autism spectrum who has transformed personal challenges into platforms for success and advocacy. Diagnosed with autism at an early age, he was unable to speak until he was four and endured severe bullying in school, at one point expressing thoughts of self-harm. Determined to help him thrive, his mother, Dr. Thelma Tennie, founded the Healing Arts Institute of South Florida, Inc. (HealingArtsSFL.org) in 2015, offering no-cost mental health services to youth and families throughout Florida.
Despite these early hardships, Carter found solace and purpose on the golf course. He channeled his newfound confidence into creating Spectrum Golf, an inclusive apparel line designed to accommodate individuals with sensory sensitivities. Carter debuted Spectrum Golf at the 2022 PGA Show and fashion show, one of the nation’s largest golf merchandising events, which led to extensive media coverage, including features on the Golf Channel, PGA Magazine, Golf Digest, Golf Life TV, Club and Resort Business, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. His story resonated worldwide, garnering attention from Golf Central Magazine, North Central Florida Golfer Magazine, Europe Times News, USAToday.com, and more.
Carter’s achievements soon caught the attention of golf legend and Hall of Famer Ernie Els, whose son is also on the autism spectrum. Els invited Carter to walk the course with him during the Chubb Classic, putting Carter and Spectrum Golf on the global stage. In addition to collaborating with Els for Autism, Carter has spoken at the Inclusion and Diversity Summit (SOAR) at Dow’s LPGA Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Michigan, where he met Golf Pro Anita Uwadia, now sponsored by Spectrum Golf. That same year, Carter competed in the South Florida HBCU Golf Classic, ultimately earning a four-year scholarship to Florida Memorial University.
Building on his advocacy and entrepreneurial spirit, Carter launched Carter’s Spectrum Golf, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free golf lessons and gear to veterans and children in need. In 2025, he introduced a Youth Golf Tour, consisting of monthly mini tournaments designed to build skills, confidence, and community among participating youth. The tour culminates annually on April 25, officially proclaimed “Carter Bonas Day”, in celebration of Autism Awareness Month, youth achievement, and excellence. NFL stars Jeff Dellenbach, Weslye Saunders, Lawrence Taylor, and Doug Flutie (whose own son is on the spectrum) are among the prominent supporters of his yearly event.
Carter has been honored as one of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation’s “Golf Flutie Fellows,” named Sports Illustrated’s Sports Kid of the Year (2022), featured on NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and recognized by UPS and the Masters as the 2023 UPS Unstoppable CEO. His recent book, Swinging Beyond the Spectrum, published in April 2025, further details his journey, underscoring how resilience, inclusivity, and a passion for giving back can transform adversity into a force for positive change.
Despite these early hardships, Carter found solace and purpose on the golf course. He channeled his newfound confidence into creating Spectrum Golf, an inclusive apparel line designed to accommodate individuals with sensory sensitivities. Carter debuted Spectrum Golf at the 2022 PGA Show and fashion show, one of the nation’s largest golf merchandising events, which led to extensive media coverage, including features on the Golf Channel, PGA Magazine, Golf Digest, Golf Life TV, Club and Resort Business, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. His story resonated worldwide, garnering attention from Golf Central Magazine, North Central Florida Golfer Magazine, Europe Times News, USAToday.com, and more.
Carter’s achievements soon caught the attention of golf legend and Hall of Famer Ernie Els, whose son is also on the autism spectrum. Els invited Carter to walk the course with him during the Chubb Classic, putting Carter and Spectrum Golf on the global stage. In addition to collaborating with Els for Autism, Carter has spoken at the Inclusion and Diversity Summit (SOAR) at Dow’s LPGA Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Michigan, where he met Golf Pro Anita Uwadia, now sponsored by Spectrum Golf. That same year, Carter competed in the South Florida HBCU Golf Classic, ultimately earning a four-year scholarship to Florida Memorial University.
Building on his advocacy and entrepreneurial spirit, Carter launched Carter’s Spectrum Golf, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free golf lessons and gear to veterans and children in need. In 2025, he introduced a Youth Golf Tour, consisting of monthly mini tournaments designed to build skills, confidence, and community among participating youth. The tour culminates annually on April 25, officially proclaimed “Carter Bonas Day”, in celebration of Autism Awareness Month, youth achievement, and excellence. NFL stars Jeff Dellenbach, Weslye Saunders, Lawrence Taylor, and Doug Flutie (whose own son is on the spectrum) are among the prominent supporters of his yearly event.
Carter has been honored as one of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation’s “Golf Flutie Fellows,” named Sports Illustrated’s Sports Kid of the Year (2022), featured on NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and recognized by UPS and the Masters as the 2023 UPS Unstoppable CEO. His recent book, Swinging Beyond the Spectrum, published in April 2025, further details his journey, underscoring how resilience, inclusivity, and a passion for giving back can transform adversity into a force for positive change.
