{
  "abstract": "Objective: To explore the perspectives of primary caregivers, healthcare professionals and transport personnel regarding the challenges associated with public transportation for children with autism spectrum disorder in India.\n\nDesign: This study applied a descriptive phenomenological qualitative design.\n\nSetting: The study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching centre in South India.\n\nParticipants: 21 participants comprising nine primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder, six healthcare professionals and six transport personnel were recruited using purposive maximum variability sampling.\n\nMethods: In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants and audio-recorded for transcription. The transcripts were manually coded and analysed using Systematic Text Condensation.\n\nResults: The results demonstrate that public transport is a complex social ecosystem comprising the child, caregivers, co-passengers and transport personnel. Healthcare professionals and policymakers, while not directly involved in travel, also influence the experience. Three major themes were identified: challenges associated with public transport, facilitators for better travel experiences and stakeholder recommendations for improving travel experiences.\n\nConclusions: This study identified key barriers to accessing public transport for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Facilitators and potential strategies to address travel-related challenges are also discussed. These findings provide insights into stakeholder perspectives that may inform efforts to improve accessibility and travel experiences on public transport for children.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Occupational Therapy Education & Services, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India",
    "Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Aksa Sara Biju"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Joseph Thomas Raj Bedford",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3026-7625"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Reema Samuel",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5132-6244"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/98gh9pshfz52n.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114263",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "98gh9pshfz52n",
  "issns": [
    "2044-6055",
    "2044-6055"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114263",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3313|Urban Transport and Accessibility"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220420567",
  "pdf_url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/16/10/e114263.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": "BMJ",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/98gh9pshfz52n.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:44Z",
      "native_id": "10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114263",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114263"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "‘Navigating the ride’: stakeholder perspectives on public transportation challenges for children with autism in India",
  "title_text": "‘Navigating the ride’: stakeholder perspectives on public transportation challenges for children with autism in India",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:44Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/98gh9pshfz52n",
  "venue": "BMJ Open",
  "versions": []
}