Neurodivergent athletes are frequently framed through deficit-based models that emphasize challenges rather than performance-relevant strengths. This perspective can lead to coaching practices that inadvertently constrain learning, engagement, and athletic development. Research indicates that sport environments optimized for neuroinclusion can enhance athlete engagement, performance, and psychological well-being by addressing sensory, communication, and organizational barriers, while also valuing the distinct cognitive strengths that neurodivergent individuals bring to athletic participation. Integrating qualitative coaching insights with neuroaffirming research on attentional focus, implicit learning, and sports performance, this work examines how coaching practices, environmental structure, and communication strategies can be optimized for neurodivergent athletes. The presentation will outline concrete strategies to promote inclusive sport environments, including structured coach education modules, sensory-informed training adaptations, predictable practice design, clear communication protocols, and strength-based athlete assessments. Emphasis will be placed on proactive design rather than reactive accommodation. Attendees will leave with an actionable model for integrating neurodivergence education into coach development systems, athlete support structures, and organizational policy, positioning neuroinclusion as a core competency within contemporary sport leadership

Dr. Alec Sheaffer is a scholar of neuroinclusion and equity in sport. She holds a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and a Master’s degree in Special Education. A former Division I athlete and gymnastics coach with 15 years of competitive coaching experience, she brings extensive applied expertise to her scholarship. Her research examines the intersection of neurodiversity, athletic performance, and institutional design, with particular attention to restructuring sport systems to advance cognitive equity. A published author on neuroinclusion in sports, Dr. Sheaffer integrates lived experience as an autistic professional with empirical inquiry to inform coach education, policy development, and organizational transformation across sport contexts.