Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.1007/s10803-025-07017-1

Publication Title

Advance online publication

Pages

12 pp.

Abstract

Strength training can be a beneficial form of physical activity (PA), but little research has examined how autistic individuals experience it or what makes programs accessible and supportive. Therefore, the purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to explore autistic young adults’ experiences with strength training, and (2) examine their recommendations for designing programs that meet their needs. Thirteen autistic young adults (ages 22–25) participated in semi-structured interviews about their strength training experiences and preferences for program design. A qualitative descriptive approach with a constructivist lens guided reflexive analysis. Participants described key factors that influenced their participation in strength training, including social support, knowledgeable coaching, and the physical and mental benefits of participation. They emphasized the need for programs that accommodate sensory preferences, provide flexible scheduling, and offer both group and individual training options. These findings highlight ways to improve strength training accessibility for autistic young adults and inform the development of more inclusive programs. Future research should include participants without previous strength training experience and of various ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Rights

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original authors and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

Data Availability

Article states: "Data may become available with direct contact to the corresponding author."

Original Publication Citation

Barry, A., Haegele, J. A., Schaefer, D., Pickett, K. A., & Columna, L. (2025). Autistic young adults' experiences and recommendations for strength training. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-07017-1

ORCID

0000-0002-8580-4782 (Haegele)

Additional Files
10803_2025_7017_MOESM1_ESM.docx (19 kB)
Supplementary Information
Download

Share

COinS