“It’s all about knowing the young person”: Best practice in coaching autistic athletes

Autistic individuals participate in significantly less sport than their typically developing peers. This study aimed to reduce barriers to participation by exploring the views of experienced coaches when supporting autistic individuals to engage in sports. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches of autistic young people from a range of sports. Data were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six key themes were identified: the coach-athlete relationship, understanding your autistic athlete, coaching strategies, behaviour support, benefits of participation, and coach education and context. The findings suggested that coaches utilised environmental, communication, and behavioural strategies to support participation. Recognising the diversity of this population the findings suggest a person-centred approach to coaching is required, understanding individuals needs and developing a trusting relationship with the athlete and their families. Coaches largely gained their knowledge through informal routes and the study identified a need for more autistic-focussed coach education resources.