How to help a person with autism participate in team sports
Participating in group sports can help people with autism improve their communication, camaraderie, and teamwork skills . However, it also requires significantly more effort than individual sports, as it presents challenges such as interpersonal relationships and communication, and often involves more sensory-aggressive environments. Therefore, it's advisable to begin with an individual sport and transition to a team sport when the time is right.
Sometimes it's hard to know which sport to practice, but in team sports, our preferences are just as important as the instructor or coach who is by our side, who can understand us, reinforce our self-esteem and support us without infantilizing us.
Playing sports when you have autism
Some recommendations for coaches or trainers who have a person with autism on their team:
- If possible, it is best to gradually increase the number of participants in a group (from 7-a-side football to 11-a-side football, for example).
- You must take your time to get to know the autistic person who will be part of the team: appreciate their needs and preferences, their communication style, and their way of behaving.
- Communication should always be clear, concise, and direct , accompanying the verbal with the non-verbal.
- We may need time to process the information ( please don't give us several orders in a row ). It's also perfectly fine to use assistive devices such as hearing protection, etc., which can prevent us from feeling overwhelmed.
- It's important to remember that we can be very literal , so beware of ambiguous instructions like "use your head" (for what? This is about scoring, not headbutting, quite the opposite).
- It's always good to ask how we're doing . We might not know the answer, but you'll get to know us.
- Don't infantilize us unnecessarily.
- Be careful with injuries too : we can have a very high pain threshold and be injured without knowing it.
- It is also important to check the space to avoid possible distractions (for example, interaction with other groups).
- If you structure the sessions, you'll make our lives easier.
- If you have new or unfamiliar activities to suggest, please do so in an environment where we feel comfortable .
- Our interests , which you might consider fixed and repetitive, can help you connect with us. Use them.
Physical education as a tool for empathy and respect
And I would also advise you to:
- Identify your own moods , desires, interests, complaints… and try to express them appropriately (Not everything is our fault!)
- Differentiate with us contextual cues (appropriate times-inappropriate times) with the aim of controlling or self-regulating behavior.
- Use gestures as a nonverbal element of communication . Nonverbal communication is essential, although it can also be misleading.
- It's not about being Messi or Alexia, but about teaching strategy, effort, tolerance, respect, and camaraderie .
- It is important that the people who are with us (monitors, for example) help us with our problems at the level of the vestibular system (balance and spatial control) and proprioceptive system (where each part of our body is at any given moment).
Playing sports can help increase our independence, improve our emotional well-being, and help us connect with others. But we have to enjoy it.
