Supporting neurodivergent athletes in sport: practitioner insights to advance neuroinclusive practice

Sport research has historically focused on neurotypical athletes. This study offers a novel and timely contribution by exploring how sport practitioners support autistic and ADHD individuals in performance environments. Thirteen practitioners were recruited, including seven coaches and six sport psychologists (8 females, 5 males; Mage = 38.69), all based in the United Kingdom. Employing a neuroinclusive-led perspective, we gained insights into participants’ experiences of supporting neurodivergent athletes in sport via a qualitative online survey. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes. Constructing Understanding of Neurodiversity captures how participants recognised both the strengths and challenges associated with neurodivergence in sport, emphasising the importance of normalising diversity. Co-Constructing Individualised Support highlights the use of adaptive, person-centred strategies, including flexible goal setting and mindfulness-based approaches to support performance. Building Neurodiversity Literacy in Sport reflects participants’ calls for greater neurodiversity literacy through formal education, practical resources, and neuroinclusive practices to foster belonging and enhance support for neurodivergent athletes. Findings offer an evidence-informed, practitioner-led perspective on neurodiversity in sport, identifying differentiated training needs for coaches and psychologists to tailor education offers from national governing and professional bodies. Future research should explore support needs across sporting contexts using multi-perspective approaches (e.g. athletes as well as coaches and sport psychologists) to better understand and support neurodivergent athletes and practitioners.