Young autistic adults’ active travel (walking) behaviours mirror those of older adults: a pilot study

Walking fosters health and sustainability, yet autistic adults' urban walkability remains underexplored. This pilot study compared walking behaviours among UK-based young neurotypical adults (n = 30; 18–39 years), young autistic adults (n = 30; 18–39 years), and older neurotypical adults (n = 24; 65+ years). Participants reported whether they walked to eight destination types during daylight and after dark. Logistic regression assessed group, gender, and time-of-day effects; McNemar tests compared walking to essential (e.g. work, shopping) versus discretionary (e.g. leisure, social) destinations within young groups. Autistic and older adults had similarly reduced odds of walking to local destinations compared to young neurotypicals (OR ≈ 0.53, p < 0.001). Nighttime walking was markedly lower across all groups (OR ≈ 0.35, p < 0.001). Young autistic and neurotypical adults did not differ for essential trips (p = 0.064) but autistic adults walked less for discretionary trips (χ2 = 10.21, p = 0.001). Young autistic adults exhibit walking patterns similar to over65s, avoiding nonessential outings likely due to sensory sensitivities and social and environmental unpredictability. Incorporating sensory-friendly urban features, such as clear wayfinding, quiet zones, consistent lighting, may enhance both essential and leisure walking among autistic populations, promoting inclusive active travel and public health.