Comparing trajectories of sport participation for autistic- and non-autistic-youth: A group-based multi-trajectory modelling approach.

Autism status was parent-reported ('Does the child have any of these ongoing conditions?') and not clinically confirmed, which may affect the accuracy of the group classification. The study measured participation (yes/no) but did not capture the intensity, frequency, or quality of the experience, nor did it explore why children dropped out. The sport participation question changed format between waves (from 'last 12 months' to 'past week'), which may have introduced measurement inconsistency. The classification of children into trajectory groups had moderate accuracy, meaning some children may have been misclassified. The sample is representative of Australian children, but generalisability to other cultural contexts may be limited.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.

Do not conclude that autistic children are generally less physically active or that individual sports are universally more suitable. The study shows comparable participation rates in individual sports, but does not measure activity intensity or the subjective experience of enjoyment. Furthermore, the lack of significant difference in individual sport participation does not prove these environments are free of barriers; it only shows they are not avoided at the same rate as team sports.