Barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of autistic students in integrated physical education: a Colombian perspective

Educating disabled and non-disabled students in general physical education classes is now a common practice internationally. However, the integration of austistic students into general physical education classes in Colombian schools with little empirical evidence to guide practice is concerning. The purpose of this study was to explore the Colombian pre-service physical educators' perspectives on barriers and facilitators to autistic students experiencing inclusion in integrated physical education settings. Data were collected between Novemeber, 2023 and January, 2024, and 135 (104 males; 31females) participated by completing an online survey. A two-step coding protocol was used to analyze responses. The respondents cumulatively identified 501 barrier factors (3.71 per participant) and 548 enabler factors (4.06 per participant) factors which they perceived to influence feelings of inclusion among autistic students. The study identified social barriers and teacher-related factors as primary influencers on autistic students' experiences of inclusion. Interestingly, programmatic elements such as personnel support and appropriate placement were seen as facilitators, albeit to a lesser extent. Environmental factors were acknowledged as barriers by participants, although they were not as dominant. Overall, the findings suggest that Colombian pre-service teachers place significant emphasis on the role of social interactions and teachers' practices in fostering inclusive experiences for autistic students in physical education.