An Examination of Parent-Reported Facilitators and Barriers to Organized Physical Activity Engagement for Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Physical, and Medical Conditions

Abstract

Organized physical activity (OPA) is an important contributor to physical, social, and emotional health and well-being; however, young people with disabilities are participating at lower rates than their peers without disabilities. This study aimed to (1) compare facilitators and barriers to OPA for young people with disabilities who currently do and do not participate in OPA and (2) to assess whether groups differed in the type of internal and external assets they reported. Parents of 218 young people (41% with a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder) with a diverse representation of disabilities completed an online survey. Young people were categorized as either participants in OPA..