Occupational Socialization and Perceptions of Physical Activity Among Fitness and Recreation Personnel at a College for Neurodiverse Learners

Abstract

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of learning differences (LD) including attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other social, psychological, or processing differences (Griffin & Pollack, 2009). Neurodiverse individuals face challenges posed by their differences, and a larger neurotypical cultural environment (Griffin & Pollack, 2009). These challenges contribute to low physical activity (PA) participation, perceptions of health, wellness, and quality of life among neurodiverse individuals (Hamm & Yun, 2017; Smith et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2013). Colleges that provide support exclusively for neurodiverse individuals provide opportunity to understand how neurodiverse individuals navigate emerging adulthood. With intention to inform quality PA programs and interventions, the purpose of this study is to explore the occupational socialization of fitness and recreation personnel employed at a college for neurodiverse learners, and their experiences providing PA for neurodiverse adults.