Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges with accessing inclusive sport and recreation opportunities in community settings. Parents play a key role in supporting their children’s activity engagement but they may lack accessible and practical information to guide their efforts and their concerns about safety can often present a barrier. The SPARK Kids website was developed as an online resource to provide parents with information on safety, inclusion, and participation in recreational activities for children with autism. The study used an online survey to evaluate the SPARK Kids website’s usability by focusing on the satisfaction dimension of usability. Measures included the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the User Satisfaction Questionnaire (USQ) with summary scores generated for each. Open-ended questions on the survey were content analyzed. Findings for the SUS indicated a score of 75.95, while the mean USQ score was 45.19. The results indicated good levels of satisfaction among the respondents regarding the SPARK Kids website. Parents generally perceived the website as easy to navigate and a helpful resource. Parents valued its focus on safety, inclusion, and raising awareness about autism in recreational contexts. Parents were found to value the design, layout, ease of navigation, and links to local resources; however, they reported preference for more concise wording in written sections. Reported information gaps included practical guidance for managing children’s behavioural, sensory and emotional challenges during specific activities such as swimming, team sports, and outdoor play. Parents also expressed a preference for more visual and interactive content, particularly short videos demonstrating strategies in real situations and links to support groups. The study showed the importance of embedding practical behaviour management strategies within sport content, addressing sensory supports, and providing video-based content and access to local resources in online informational resources. These findings contribute to understanding how online resources can meet the informational needs of families of children with autism and provide guidance for developing more accessible, parent-centered digital tools for safe recreational participation.
Rashid Bawumia Ali (Thu,) studied this question.