Former NBA forward Tony Snell diagnosed with autism at age 31 following son's diagnosis

Former NBA forward Tony Snell revealed that his son's autism spectrum disorder diagnosis led to his own diagnosis.

During an appearance on NBC's "Today" on Friday, Snell said his 2-year-old son Karter was tested and diagnosed with autism after he and his wife Ashley noticed that their toddler was developmentally delayed.

"By 18 months, he still wasn’t talking (and) he was doing a lot of stimming movements," Snell told anchor Craig Melvin.

Snell said his son's diagnosis inspired him to undergo testing himself. At age 31, Snell was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a "condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication," according to the Mayo Clinic.

"I'm like, if (Karter) is diagnosed, then I think I am too. ... That gave me the courage to go get checked up," Snell said. "I was not surprised because I always felt different. ... It was just relief, like, oh, this why I am the way I am."

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Snell was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 20th overall pick in 2013 NBA draft. He also played for the Milwaukee Bucks (2016–19), Detroit Pistons (2019–20), Atlanta Hawks (2020–21), Portland Trail Blazers (2021–22) and New Orleans Pelicans (2022). He signed with the NBA G League's Maine Celtics in January.

Born in Los Angeles, Snell said he was "always independent growing up. Always being alone. I just couldn't connect with people on the personal side of things."

He added that autism is under-diagnosed in the Black community: "We don’t have much knowledge of it, and I think some people are nervous to open up. People got lots of stuff going on individually, and it’s hard to open up to things that people might not know about.”

Snell described the moment of his diagnosis as life-changing.

"It just made my whole life, everything about my life, make so much sense. It was like a clarity, like putting some 3D glasses on," he recalled.

The University of New Mexico alumnus said his son won't feel alone like he did. Snell said he's speaking out in hopes of curbing the stigma surrounding autism.

"I just want to change lives and inspire people. I want to make sure my son knows that I have his back," said Snell. "When I was a kid, I felt different ... but now I could show him that I’m right here with you, (and) we're going to ride this thing together. We're going to grow together, and we’re going to accomplish a lot of things together."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Snell diagnosed with autism at age 31 following son's diagnosis