TY - JOUR
T1 - Just Invite Us: Autistic Adults' Recommendations for Developing More Accessible Physical Activity Opportunities
T2 - Autistic adults' recommendations for developing more accessible physical activity opportunities
AU - Healy, Sean
AU - Blagrave, Arkansas Josephine
AU - Colombo-Dougovito, Andrew M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Background: Autistic adults engage in lower levels of physical activity (PA) than their nonautistic peers, and over 60% do not meet national guidelines for PA. In addition, autistic adults face myriad barriers to PA participation that can make accessing activities challenging. To support the inclusion of autistic adults in PA, this study sought to explore first-hand recommendations for PA participation from autistic adults' perspective. Methods: We interviewed 23 autistic adults aged 18 to 75 years about their PA experiences across their lifespan, including querying the participants' recommendations for supporting autistic adults in PA. A qualitative descriptive design with a constructivist lens guided the thematic analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in two overarching themes: (1) It's helpful to have someone there to support; and (2) It's that sensory thing, it always is. Each theme includes participant-provided recommendations to guide professionals in the field of PA. Conclusions: The autistic adult voice, long absent from conversations about PA, is a valuable and needed addition to understand how to improve PA experiences for this population. Recommendations from this study include (1) listening to the perspectives and insight of autistic adults, (2) consideration of sensory stimulus when planning for PA participation, and (3) encouraging and providing social supports for PA participation.
AB - Background: Autistic adults engage in lower levels of physical activity (PA) than their nonautistic peers, and over 60% do not meet national guidelines for PA. In addition, autistic adults face myriad barriers to PA participation that can make accessing activities challenging. To support the inclusion of autistic adults in PA, this study sought to explore first-hand recommendations for PA participation from autistic adults' perspective. Methods: We interviewed 23 autistic adults aged 18 to 75 years about their PA experiences across their lifespan, including querying the participants' recommendations for supporting autistic adults in PA. A qualitative descriptive design with a constructivist lens guided the thematic analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in two overarching themes: (1) It's helpful to have someone there to support; and (2) It's that sensory thing, it always is. Each theme includes participant-provided recommendations to guide professionals in the field of PA. Conclusions: The autistic adult voice, long absent from conversations about PA, is a valuable and needed addition to understand how to improve PA experiences for this population. Recommendations from this study include (1) listening to the perspectives and insight of autistic adults, (2) consideration of sensory stimulus when planning for PA participation, and (3) encouraging and providing social supports for PA participation.
KW - Autism
KW - Environmental barriers
KW - Exercise
KW - Professional practice
KW - Sensory issues
KW - Social supports
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85154533362&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/aut.2020.0055
DO - 10.1089/aut.2020.0055
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85154533362
SN - 2573-9581
VL - 3
SP - 179
EP - 186
JO - Autism in Adulthood
JF - Autism in Adulthood
IS - 2
ER -