Description and Evaluation of a Co-design Process Involved in the Creation of a Workforce Training Package Aiding Sport and Exercise Professionals Work with Autistic Young People

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Hill, J., Williams, B., Wiltshire, G. E., & Gomersall, S. R. (2025). Description and Evaluation of a Co-design Process Involved in the Creation of a Workforce Training Package Aiding Sport and Exercise Professionals Work with Autistic Young People. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06912-x

Publication date: 14 Jun 2025 Added to AutiHub: 22 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Jessica Hill
  2. Brittany Williams
  3. Gilly-Elle Wiltshire *
  4. Sjaan R. Gomersall

Abstract

Increasingly, researchers are encouraged to include consumers and stakeholders in the development of health and service provider education. This is particularly important for education relating to autistic people to ensure that resources are developed from a neurodiversity-affirming lens. Limited literature exists outlining or evaluating the processes used within co-design autism research. This study aimed to describe and qualitatively evaluate the co-design process used in the development of a training package for community sport and exercise professionals working with autistic young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 10 consumers and stakeholders involved in this co-design project. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. From the transcripts, four themes emerged. In theme 1 members described characteristics relating to the co-design process they perceived enhanced their engagement. Members emphasised the importance of the project being consumer and stakeholder led, and flexible to support each person's needs. In theme 2 members described the connection they felt to the other group members, facilitated by the creation of an emotionally safe environment. In theme 3 members discussed how the processes put in place and the supportive environment created resulted in a holistic understanding of the skills and knowledge community sport and exercise professionals need to effectively work with young autistic people. In theme 4 members provided recommendations for future co-design research. Consumer and stakeholders involved in this project described an overall positive experience of the co-design process, with findings resulting in three key recommendations to support future autism co-design research.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 07:50.

Cited references
38
With a DOI
31
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
7
3 / 38 (7.9%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
8 / 38 (21.1%)
References with detected author names
31 / 38 (81.6%)
Without detected author names
7
Without a structured title
8
Without a stable identifier
7
References with raw author names still to review
7
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
129
From DOI or external metadata
129
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
9
31 / 129 (24.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 98 / 129 (76.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
9 / 129 (7.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 9 / 31 (29.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 9 / 127 (7.1%).
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