Community-based sailing programme to enhance resilience among autistic children in inclusive education: a qualitative study with community stakeholders

This study explores the experience of a community-based sailing (CBS) programme among school-aged autistic children in inclusive education, drawing on the perceptions of involved community stakeholders. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used. A total of 56 participants were recruited through purposive sampling at Sailability Hong Kong, including 16 autistic children (25% female), 18 caregivers of autistic children (78% female), one organisational administrator (female), 7 qualified sailing instructors (14% female, 43% volunteers), and 14 volunteers without a sailing instructor background (40% female). Data were synthesised thematically based on the Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA) model and organised according to the socioecological framework. Findings highlights the importance of the community-based initiatives.Insights gained from this study offer valuable foundations for future resilience-focused intervention development , complementing the deficit-oriented approaches in existing non-pharmacological interventions. This contributes to the holistic health of school-aged autistic children in inclusive education.