Abstract
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.
Lay summary
Why was this study done?
Autistic adults have many health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and obesity. Physical activity can improve these health concerns. Yet, professionals lack knowledge about how to provide optimal physical activity experiences for autistic individuals. Very little research has engaged autistic adults to directly ask their recommendations about their own physical activity needs.
What was the purpose of this study?
This study wanted recommendations from autistic adults on how to make physical activity more accessible and enjoyable. By doing this, the authors hope to increase the voices of autistic adults in physical activity research.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers asked 23 autistic adults for their recommendations on how to improve physical activity experiences.
What were the results of the study?
Participants' responses were grouped into two categories: (1) It's helpful to have someone there to support and (2) It's that sensory thing, it always is. The first theme highlights the social supports that many autistic adults feel they need to be successful. Supports include individuals within the close social circles of the autistic adults, such as parents, friends, and other close people. They can also include professionals, such as teachers or exercise trainers. The second theme highlights the need to address the sensory sensitivities of the individual before activity can take place; if an environment or activity is not “sensory friendly” or is not accommodating, then autistic adults are less likely to engage.
What do these findings add to what was already known?
Autistic adults face many barriers to physical activity participation. These findings offer first-hand accounts by autistic adults about how to improve their physical activity experiences. These results also offer ideas on how to increase physical activity engagement for autistic individuals. Other research has focused on improving physical activity in those who are autistic, but this research is rarely from the perspective of the autistic individual. This study is one of a very small number of studies that has done this and is the first to ask autistic adults to give recommendations for physical activity participation.
What are potential weaknesses in the study?
This study only interviewed autistic adults who prefer to communicate verbally, and so the study sample is not representative of all autistic adults. Many participants in the sample were from the United States, and autistic adults in other countries may have different opinions about physical activity participation. Finally, the researchers may have recruited individuals with an interest in physical activity—autistic adults who are not interested or dislike physical activity may have different recommendations.
How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?
This study will help professionals provide more appropriate physical activity experiences to autistic adults. Also, this research could help practitioners and researcher make physical activity spaces more welcoming and enjoyable for autistic adults.
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