Sport - a guide for sports coaches and clubs

If you are a sports instructor, you may have an autistic person in your class or group. Here is a short guide to help you meet their needs. We also offer training for sports leaders/teachers.

About autism

Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. All autistic people have difficulties with communication and social interaction. Many autistic people have sensory issues with noise, smells and bright lights, which can be painful and distressing. They can experience intense anxiety and extreme unease around unexpected change.

If you work in the sports industry, the following will help you to understand the needs of your autistic participants: 

Visit our What is autism page
Watch our Too Much Information film

Benefits of sport

“The game has helped me to build social skills, make friends, and it has taught me to come together with my teammates like a band of brothers. I’ve got a lot of confidence from that.” Tom Morgan, rugby player and National Autistic Society Sports Ambassador

Playing sport not only helps to keep us fit and well, it can increase self-esteem, help develop social skills and improve mental health and general wellbeing. This also applies to people on the autism spectrum.

Here are some quotes from autistic people about how sport has benefited them:

“It taught me I can be successful; I am three times’ world champion in my sport. Helps me to release my frustration. I fit in with my team.”

“Reduces my anxiety.”

“I have learnt to keep trying things when they get tricky.”

“I can be part of a group without being forced to be part of a team.”

Welcoming an autistic player

Offer the opportunity for participants to meet you and explore your sports club at a quieter time ahead of their first session.

Get to know them by finding out about their interests, challenges and why they want to join your club. If they are non-verbal or have limited speech, ask their parents. Use this to develop a ‘player profile’, including motivators, interests and causes of distress or anxiety.

“Every autistic person is different and unique in their own way, so take some time to get to know the individual and appreciate their needs: awareness of the person’s level of communication, style of learning, any sensory needs, triggers and behaviours." Daniel Bird, BA (Hons) Sports Coaching and School Sport

Communication

Autistic people can struggle with communication, here are some things to think about when supporting an autistic person:

Find out how the person prefers to communicate and respect their preference.
Try to make your communication clear, concise and direct.
Allow time for instructions and information to be processed – it’s useful to give six seconds before saying anything else.
Many autistic people are visual learners. Try to accompany verbal instructions with a demonstration and visual aids such as picture symbols or a visual timetable showing what’s going to happen in the session.
Some autistic people can interpret language literally and find it hard to infer meaning from ambiguous or unclear phrases. Avoid phrases like ‘pull your socks up’ or ‘run like the wind’ which may confuse.

“My coach was giving me some instructions during a break in the game; he told me to ‘use my head’ when going into the tackle. I took this very literally and ended up head butting the opposing player!” Tom Morgan – National Autistic Society Sports Ambassador

Be aware that some autistic people may struggle to make or maintain eye contact – this doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention.
Use participants’ names to gain their attention.
Check for understanding by asking participants to demonstrate the activity or seeing how they get on in the game.
Try not to rely too much on your body language and facial expressions – some autistic people may not understand how to interpret them.

Social interaction

Some autistic people struggle to understand the ‘unwritten rules’ of social interaction. For example, they may stand too close to another person, or start an inappropriate subject of conversation.

Begin with one-to-one activities, perhaps making use of a support worker or assistant activity leader.
Adopt a staggered approach to integrating participants into a larger group – do it very gradually.
Social stories can be a good way to teach social skills such as turn taking and etiquette around winning and losing.

Adapting the environment

Many autistic people have sensory sensitivity which can affect one or more of the senses. Certain background sounds may be unbearably loud or distracting, causing anxiety.

Check the activity space for potential distractions. This may include checking the lighting, smells and noise levels.
Try to reduce distractions and adopt a low arousal approach to reduce anxiety and aid concentration. Examples include only getting out the equipment that will be used to reduce clutter and distractions, or ensuring that you aren’t setting up your session in close proximity to other groups.
Provide/allow the use of supportive aids such as ear defenders to allow sounds to be blocked out or sensory aids.
Try to deliver new or unfamiliar activities in an environment that the individual is used to and comfortable in.

Planning your activity session and engaging participants

Planning ahead can help people know what to expect and feel confident in participating.

Implement a consistent structure for each session, including having structure at what are usually unstructured times. For example, in breaks during the session, ensure that you have something prepared to keep your participants engaged.
If the participant has a  special interest, try to engage with it as a means of incentive or feedback.
Recognise participants’ success and achievements, but make sure that praise is not exaggerated or ‘over the top’. Feedback should be fair and constructive – by permanently giving praise, the real meaning behind it can be lost.
Make sure tasks are achievable, teach in small steps.

“In a coach, I look for someone who is reliable and punctual, and who lets me know in advance what we will be doing in each session. They also need to be very straightforward and clear in their instructions - and have a lot of patience as my verbal processing can be slow.”
Alis Rowe - weightlifter

Safety

Autistic people cannot always foresee the consequences of their actions.

Some may have a limited sense of danger. With this in mind, ensure that you have clear physical boundaries for each session and explain safety rules in a way that the person understands.
Be vigilant in checking for injuries, as some autistic people may carry on participating, unaware that they have sustained an injury.

Siblings

Consider offering 'Sibling Sessions' to involve siblings so that your participants have a familiar face to go to. However, try not to depend on siblings to look after their brother or sister, as they need to be able to enjoy the activities as well.