Exploring the barriers and facilitators to physical activity involvement in autistic youth with mild intellectual disability

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Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity
Involvement in Autistic Youth with Mild Intellectual Disability
Background
•Physical activity (PA) involvement is significantly
lower among youth with intellectual disability
(Stanish et al., 2016) and youth with autism (ASD;
Corvey et al., 2016).
•Youth with both ASD and intellectual disability
experience greater challenges to PA involvement
than youth with intellectual disability only (Tint et
al., 2017).
•Fewer studies have examined PA barriers and
facilitators for youth with both ASD and intellectual
disability, as well as from these youth directly.
Objective
•The current study aimed to explore barriers and
facilitators to PA as reported by autistic youth with
mild intellectual disability and their caregivers.
Method
Participants
•Fourteen autistic youth with mild intellectual
disability (Mage = 12.23, SD = 2.51, range = 8 to 16
years; 13 boys) and their caregivers.
Measures
•Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, 2nd
Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011) to measure youth’s
cognitive ability (M= 65.64, SD = 10.73, range = 51
to 75).
•Semi-structured interviews with youth about their
PA preferences, barriers, and facilitators.
•Caregiver reports of their child’s PA preferences,
barriers, and facilitators.
Analyses
1) Transcribed interviews were coded using NVivo.
2) Segments were coded broadly as “barrier” or
”facilitator”.
3) Segments were assigned specific codes which
were created deductively.
4) Specific codes were reviewed to create themes.
Four themes were inductively identified from the interviews with youth:
Discussion
Strengths
•PA barriers and facilitators were reported by youth themselves, providing insight into their perspectives and highlighting their voices.
•Information was gathered from youth diagnosed with both ASD and mild intellectual disability, a population that is under-
represented in research.
Limitations
•Only one female youth participated, and youth who face extreme barriers (e.g., physical mobility issues, poverty) may not have been
able to participate.
Implications
•Findings can inform interventions designed to reduce barriers and enhance facilitators to PA involvement in schools and other
organizations.
Barriers that are
intrinsic or internal to
youth, i.e., their own
cognitions, attitudes,
behaviours, perceptions.
Example Codes:
Physical complaints
Fear of injury
Youth’s own challenging
behaviours
Within-Person
Barriers
(Intrapersonal)
Between-Person
Barriers
(Interpersonal)
Barriers that are
external to youth, or
outside of their locus of
control.
Example Codes:
Lack of available
resources / support
when doing PA
Friends that prefer
sedentary activities or
sports the youth dislikes
Within-Person
Facilitators
(Intrapersonal)
Facilitators that are
intrinsic or internal to
youth, i.e., their own
cognitions, attitudes,
behaviours, perceptions.
Example Codes:
Positive attitudes /
intrinsic motivation
Youth’s own positive
behaviours
Between-Person
Facilitators
(Interpersonal)
Facilitators that are
external to youth, or
outside of their locus of
control.
Example Codes:
Available resources in
the community
School-scheduled PA
Parents’ support when
doing PA
“When I went to my first school
and did gym, I got hit in the
face with the ball. I chipped a
tooth when I did volleyball one
time…So that’s why I’m scared
I’m gonna fall and get hurt
‘cause I don’t like doing sports.“
–An older youth participant
Interviewer: “What do you do at
recess or lunch?”
Participant: “Run outside.”
Interviewer: “Do you play with
friends at recess or lunch?”
Participant: [yelling] “NO, I PLAY
BY MYSELF. I LIKE IT THAT WAY.”
–A younger youth participant
Participant: “I need to know the
game first. And I never know how
to play. I need to know the game
so I can play with them.”
Interviewer: “So do these people
help you?”
Participant: “No.”
–One youth participant
“I get the ball when I’m goalie,
but I’m still horrible at
goalie…Me and my sister and my
dad practice and I get better.”
–An eight-year-old participant
ResultsResults
Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank the research assistants in the
Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab for
helping with data collection and transcription of
interviews; Special Olympics British Columbia for
funding this study; and the individuals and families
for their time and participation.
Cassia L. McIntyre, Troy Q. Boucher, Marisa L. Mylett, & Grace Iarocci
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Child Factors
• Disliking team sports or
individual PA
• Motor coordination difficulties
•Challenging behaviours
• Awareness of benefits of
healthy eating and PA
External
Factors
• Available transportation
• PA programs for youth with
disabilities
• Trained staff to work with
youth with disabilities
•Age-appropriate and
affordable PA options
Child PA
Preferences
• Can be done independently or
be part of a routine
• Involves social interaction with
peers or spending time with
family
• Involves an aspect of fun or
rewards
Caregiver Reports: