"In general, there is a big barrier for neurodiverse individuals in accessing sport. It’s a huge issue. I think autistic people often feel excluded in society, but sports can help them feel included." 

Access Sport’s Changing Places programme focuses on filling a gap so that disadvantaged and disabled young people can experience the life-changing benefits of community sport.

CASPA is a local charity based in Bromley which supports autistic young people through social clubs, weekend and holiday trips and activities. Our team partnered with CASPA to launch new pan-disability boxing sessions.

In the article below, Chloe, a Programme Manager at CASPA, explores the transformational impact these boxing sessions have had on the autistic young people she works with.

Article by Chloe from CASPA.

I’m Chloe and I work at CASPA, an Autism charity in Bromley.

People who access CASPA are all so different. We have members who are non-verbal because of anxiety rather than their ability. But once they make friends, they can be themselves. We don’t force them into doing anything they're too anxious to do, but we do encourage them to try new things. CASPA is a non-judgmental environment, and having the freedom to be themselves is the most important thing. It's a safe space for them to show how they feel if they’re anxious or having a bad day.

My colleague signed us up to Access Sport, and they came to our social group to teach our young people boxercise. We had about 15 individuals who came to the boxercise session each week. Some of them wanted to get physically healthier, but I think mental health was the biggest reason for them to join the boxercise session.  

One woman came to the session because she was going through a hard time. She'd always say that she felt so much better putting her energy into something positive. Another girl had always stayed outside of sports due to anxiety of being in a big group. But as soon as the boxercise was on, she'd come in. Boxercise really helped her not only to get her anxiety out but also to engage in CASPA in general. I think girls generally feel safe to be themselves at CASPA. Most of them wouldn’t feel comfortable taking part in sport in mainstream society, but the boxercise session gave them a platform to explore a new sport.

On the other hand, most boys who joined the boxercise had a learning disability as well as autism. Although they didn’t necessarily have mental health struggles, they would need a lot of encouragement to partake in sport, as some tended to be on their phones. One of them was not fully verbal, and he would normally wander around the space when he came to CASPA. But because boxing is a one-on-one thing, other people would be communicating with him, and he could communicate back in his own way. 

I think the teamwork aspect of the sport was good for them because it helped their communication as well as their physical health. The boxercise sessions were so important for autistic young people because it made them feel good and confident to try something new. They wouldn't get those opportunities otherwise, and I think the consistency that they knew what to expect every week helped to minimise their anxiety. I think we did it for longer than it was originally planned because it was going so well.

In general, there is a big barrier for neurodiverse individuals in accessing sport. It’s a huge issue. I think autistic people often feel excluded in society, but sports can help them feel included. It’s about giving them a taste of sport in a safe environment with people they know. It's helpful for them to see that sport isn't scary and it’s for everyone. I think it's breaking down barriers. But we need more. We need to give them more opportunities to try new things.