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Children and youth with impairments in social skills and/or cognition face many barriers to community participation specifically physical activity (PA) (e.g., limited staff training). Inclusive PA settings may provide opportunities for children and youth with and without impairments to engage together and promote physical and social skill development. The purpose of this scoping review was to critically evaluate the literature on out-of-school PA programs (i.e., non-curriculum programming) that included children and/or youth with impairments in social skills and/or cognition. A keyword search of seven databases followed by eligibility screening led to ten articles for this scoping review. For each included study, two research team members independently extracted and synthesized the data, and appraised the study reporting quality using the published quality assessment tool (QATSDD). Experts' evaluation of the research literature was obtained. Ten studies, which varied from low to high reporting quality, collectively addressed the following outcomes, with all showing mixed impacts: anthropometrics and fitness; motor and sport skills; psychological well-being; and socialization. Experts suggested routes forward for research and practice including longitudinal designs and programming variety to meet individual needs. Out-of-school PA programs that include children and/or youth with impairments in social skills and/or cognition provide an opportunity to improve multiple areas of health and wellness. However, limited high-quality research has been conducted to-date. Further evaluation of program effectiveness is warranted.

Residential Immersive Life Skills (RILS) programs are unique programs for youth with disabilities. Situated, experiential, psychoeducational and strengths-based learning approaches expose youth to opportunities and experiences that can facilitate the development of adaptive behaviours. This study examined the pedagogy of RILS programs to facilitate life skills development in youth. This study draws on 25 qualitative interviews that were conducted with nine youth who attended one of three separate RILS programs. Interviews were conducted at three different time points: pre-program, 3 months post-program and 12 months post-program. Data were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. The analysis provided evidence of the intended learning approaches that are mobilised in the RILS pedagogy (applied mechanisms): situated and experiential learning and psychoeducational and strengths-based learning approaches. The transcripts also uncovered three behavioural and emotional elements in the RILS pedagogy (implicit mechanisms): the power of (1) interpersonal connections; (2) culture of collective understanding; and (3) emotional contagion. Findings validated evidence of applied mechanisms and uncovered the hidden behavioural and emotional mechanisms in the RILS pedagogy. This in-depth insight is central to further developing not only independence-oriented life skills programs, but also broader education programs for youth with disabilities.

Children with autism spectrum disorders appear to be at a higher risk of having obesity than their typically developing peers. Although it has been recommended that healthcare providers speak to children with autism spectrum disorders about the potential health risks of unhealthy weight, no previous research has explored how healthcare providers communicate with them about this topic. The purpose of this study was to explore children's perspectives and experiences of discussing weight-related topics in healthcare consultations. Eight children were interviewed, and an interpretive phenomenological analysis informed the research approach and analysis of the data. Results indicated that weight-related discussions with healthcare providers were often met with trepidation, anxiety, anger, and frustration. Children also expressed that they experienced weight stigma in clinical visits and everyday interactions. Weight stigma was often (unwittingly) projected by healthcare providers during appointments and had debilitating effects on children. Finally, higher weights emerged as a repetitive/restricted interest, and children reported body image challenges regarding their higher weights. Frameworks and tools that are specific to the needs and abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders are needed for healthcare providers to foster positive conversations about weight-related topics in an effort to promote lifelong wellness.

Despite the importance of students without special needs' perspectives in promoting successful social inclusion strategies in the classroom, their perspectives are not well represented in the literature. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarise the perspectives of students without special needs around the social inclusion of students with physical impairments in mainstream classrooms, describe factors impacting these perspectives and identify research gaps. Five databases were searched and 6229 articles were screened for eligibility. Ten articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The findings suggest that students without special needs avoid interacting with students with physical impairments, and are less accepting and less willing to befriend a student with a physical impairment. Combined, there were 13 individual, interpersonal and contextual factors influencing these perspectives, which should be considered to inform future inclusion practices.

Background: Although social exclusion among typically developing school-aged children has been well explored, it is under-researched for children with disabilities even though they are at a higher risk for being excluded. While there are a number of different programs available to improve social inclusion at school, the appeal of these programs to children remains unknown. Objective: The objective of this pilot study was to elicit children's perceptions of the desirable components of two commonly used social inclusion programs in Ontario, Canada. Methods: An exploratory mixed methods design (group discussion, observation notes, and a brief questionnaire) was used to provide an in-depth understanding of children's perceptions of two social inclusion programs: A group-based game (n = 87) and a puppet show (n = 78). Results: Children in each program reported that several aspects of the content appealed to them including learning about (1) bullying; (2) disability; (3) building friendships and encouraging social inclusion; (4) preventing social exclusion. The desirable aspects related to the format of the game and puppet show included (1) the interactive components; (2) the relevant topics and characters; (3) the length of the programs. Conclusions: Children's insights about social inclusion programs should be considered in development and improvements of future programs.