Community-based sport for autistic children and young adults: A scoping review of inclusion models, program characteristics, and reported outcomes / Bourhis AMANDINE in Research in Autism, 138 (October 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inResearch in Autism > 138 (October 2026) . - p.203017 Titre : Community-based sport for autistic children and young adults: A scoping review of inclusion models, program characteristics, and reported outcomes Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Bourhis AMANDINE, Auteur ; Gonnon LEA, Auteur ; Belkhayat CHAMS-DDINE, Auteur ; Préau MARIE, Auteur ; Geoffray MARIE-MAUDE, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.203017 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Adapted Physical Activity  Community sport  Inclusion  Public health priority Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Autistic children face barriers to community sport participation despite known benefits. This scoping review, including stakeholder input, examined community-based sport programs, focusing on inclusion models, characteristics, and outcomes. Methods Following Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, four databases were searched. Two reviewers screened and extracted data. Findings were synthesized descriptively and thematically and interpreted alongside input from a stakeholder focus group. Results Thirty-eight studies (n = 938; mean age = 10.8 years; 78% male) were included, mainly involving children with mild to moderate autism. Aquatic, combat, and team sports were most frequent. Programs typically involved structured ~56-minute sessions, once or twice weekly over ~12 weeks, with intensive staffing—usually no more than two children per adult. Most programs comprised only autistic children, while mixed groups of autistic and non-autistic children were less common. Benefits mainly concerned motor and social outcomes. Stakeholders also highlighted emotional regulation, autonomy, and family well-being. Inclusion depended more on adapting activities to participants’ needs than on sport type. Conclusion Despite a limited and heterogeneous evidence base, appropriately adapted and supported community sport may offer meaningful opportunities for autistic children’s participation, development, and well-being. Sustained participation alongside non-autistic peers remains insufficiently studied. More inclusive provision will require context-sensitive adaptations and coordinated support for community clubs, including staff training, access to autism expertise, and adequate staffing. Community sport should therefore be further investigated as a potentially valuable component of public health strategies supporting autistic children and their families. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.203017 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=594 [article] Community-based sport for autistic children and young adults: A scoping review of inclusion models, program characteristics, and reported outcomes [texte imprimé] / Bourhis AMANDINE, Auteur ; Gonnon LEA, Auteur ; Belkhayat CHAMS-DDINE, Auteur ; Préau MARIE, Auteur ; Geoffray MARIE-MAUDE, Auteur . - p.203017. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Research in Autism > 138 (October 2026) . - p.203017 Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Adapted Physical Activity  Community sport  Inclusion  Public health priority Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Autistic children face barriers to community sport participation despite known benefits. This scoping review, including stakeholder input, examined community-based sport programs, focusing on inclusion models, characteristics, and outcomes. Methods Following Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, four databases were searched. Two reviewers screened and extracted data. Findings were synthesized descriptively and thematically and interpreted alongside input from a stakeholder focus group. Results Thirty-eight studies (n = 938; mean age = 10.8 years; 78% male) were included, mainly involving children with mild to moderate autism. Aquatic, combat, and team sports were most frequent. Programs typically involved structured ~56-minute sessions, once or twice weekly over ~12 weeks, with intensive staffing—usually no more than two children per adult. Most programs comprised only autistic children, while mixed groups of autistic and non-autistic children were less common. Benefits mainly concerned motor and social outcomes. Stakeholders also highlighted emotional regulation, autonomy, and family well-being. Inclusion depended more on adapting activities to participants’ needs than on sport type. Conclusion Despite a limited and heterogeneous evidence base, appropriately adapted and supported community sport may offer meaningful opportunities for autistic children’s participation, development, and well-being. Sustained participation alongside non-autistic peers remains insufficiently studied. More inclusive provision will require context-sensitive adaptations and coordinated support for community clubs, including staff training, access to autism expertise, and adequate staffing. Community sport should therefore be further investigated as a potentially valuable component of public health strategies supporting autistic children and their families. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.203017 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=594

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