'Happy and a bit Nervous': the experiences of children with autism in physical education

Twelve students with autistic disorder participated in interviews to reveal their perspective of physical education. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to provide a comprehensive account of the data. Three key themes emerged, each a compilation of a set of subthemes. The first theme, individual challenges, was comprised of physical ability, sensory challenges and a fear of injury. The second theme, peer interactions, encapsulated subthemes of initiation of friendship, camaraderie, social comparison and bullying. The final theme that emerged from the data was exclusion, which attends to children's experiences of being excluded by the teacher or as a result of activities being too difficult. Most notably, however, this theme relates to children requesting to be excluded. These findings are discussed in relation to research on the perspectives of students with and without disabilities. Considerations for future research are also provided.