# 5 Course summary

During this course you have had the opportunity to hear about the experiences of a range of neurodivergent athletes, to help you identify the importance of a strengths based and neuro-affirmative approach to coaching – from grassroots to elite levels.

Week 1 of the course has helped you explore different models of neurodiversity and different conditions which some athletes may present with. This also identified some links between neurodiversity and wider wellbeing.

Week 2 focused on gaining an understanding of the barriers faced by neurodivergent athletes and their families when accessing sport and exercise activities, and how coaching environments and practice can contribute to this.

Week 3 highlighted the important and often overlooked experiences of friends and family members of neurodivergent athletes. As part of this week, you will have gained an appreciation of the valuable information these groups can make, and how it can positively influence your coaching practice.

Finally, Week 4 explored how you can put this learning into practice. Using experiences of athletes and coaches, possible adaptations to coaching practices and environments were explored to help you develop those ‘safe spaces’ for athletes of all neurotypes.

After completing the course we hope you are able to take some of your learning into your coaching practice in the near future.

If you would like to explore more courses and information on OpenLearn you can access the Sport and Fitness Hub and more content on neurodiversity.

You might also be interested in the Open University’s course and qualifications in sport and fitness.

OpenLearn - Coaching neurodivergent athletes
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