Episode Transcript
Interviewer: What sports are good for children with autism? Dr. Julia Connelly is the Clinical Director of the University of Utah Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic. What do you recommend?
Dr. Connelly: Even though it's very tricky to engage kids on the autism spectrum in physical activity, we still recommend that they engage in 60 minutes every day. We really look for individual sports that focus on skill improvement, interest, and having fun. Some of the examples would be gymnastics, swimming, track and field, and climbing. And the reason why we particularly like these sports is that even though they're individual sports, kids still are on a team which can be very beneficial for them.
Interviewer: Any final advice?
Dr. Connelly: I would say do not force your child into any sport. If they're not interested right now either explore other options or give it some time and try again later.
updated: April 13, 2021
originally published: April 19, 2019