ArticleAutism : the international journal of research and practice2024
Motivation to participate in structured physical activity for autistic youth: A systematic scoping review.
Article in Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exercise dose architecture as a precision-informed developmental framework in autism spectrum disorder: a narrative review of mechanisms, sex- and development-related heterogeneity, and clinical translation.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Development and Further Content Validation of the Motivation Assessment Tool for Physical Activity (MATPA) Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Dropout From Exercise Interventions in Autistic Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Attendance Compulsory, Motivation Conditional. Autistic Youth's Psychological Need Support and Satisfaction Related to Physical Education: A Qualitative Investigation.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026Article
- Disparities in Physical Activity and Sport Participation Among Transition-Age Youth With Autism and Intellectual Disability.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Article
- Socio-Demographic Associations and Frequencies of Physical Activity Participation of Autistic Adolescents Reported by Parents in Ontario, Canada.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Relationship among physical activity, social anxiety, and autistic traits in female college students: a variable-and person-centered analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- The efficacy, mechanisms and implementation of physical activity as an adjunctive treatment in mental disorders: a meta-review of outcomes, neurobiology and key determinants.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2025Article
- Exercise Interventions for Autistic People: An Integrative Review of Evidence from Clinical Trials.Current psychiatry reports · 2025Review
- Enhancing home-based physical activity for neurodivergent children: adapting theFrontiers in physiology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
lay abstractAutistic youth participate less in physical education classes and organised sport than their neurotypical peers. We conducted a review of existing studies to investigate what is known about what motivates (and does not motivate) autistic youth to take part in structured physical activities. We systematically searched electronic databases and found 18 publications that met the criteria to be included in this review. Data from these studies were extracted and mapped to the self-determination theory to identify factors that support (or undermine) motivation for autistic youth. We also discussed the findings with autistic individuals and other relevant stakeholders to discover how the review related to their experiences. Our results found competence (youth feeling competent in their athletic and social skills and abilities) to be the most reported psychological need impacting motivation for autistic youth. Intrinsic motivation (participating for enjoyment and satisfaction) was the most common facilitator of motivation. Autism-specific themes outside of the self-determination theory were mapped inductively, and we found that the sensory environment was a prominent theme reported to influence the motivation of autistic youth not covered by the self-determination theory. The findings of this review suggest that supporting the psychological needs of autistic youth can foster motivation to engage in physical activity, although how these needs are met can differ from their neurotypical peers. Future research should examine motivational factors that support engagement in structured physical activities through the lens of autistic youth and their experiences.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.