Autismability: new scheme to encourage more people with autism to engage in sport

A research team from the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences (RISES) are continuing their collaboration with the Wirral Autistic Society on a new scheme designed to encourage more people with autism spectrum conditions to engage in sport. The scheme is called Autismability and is funded by a grant awarded to Wirral Autistic Society by Sport England.

As part of the project, the team will investigate the secondary psychosocial benefits of engaging in a programme of trampolining.

Dr Spencer Hayes commented: “Engagement in sport, coupled with different forms of motor and social feedback, has been shown to develop important aspects of social cognition: self-confidence, social interaction and changes in stress and anxiety.”

The findings will be fed straight back to the service users at the Wirral Autistic Society in order to continue the ongoing civic collaboration between the University and the local community.

The project team from RISES based at the LJMU School of Sport and Exercise Sciences are Dr Spencer Hayes, Professor Simon Bennett, Dr Joe Causer and Professor Digby Elliott.

Watch the ITV coverage of the project here