Panini has officially received Autism Approval for its Premier League Adrenalyn XL trading card game from the National Autistic Society.

Following a process of testing managed by the National Autistic Society in partnership with Panini, product testers were selected from a pool of autistic people and their family members and carers. Tests took place over a two-week period with instructions to use the products a number of times to evaluate a number of key areas.

Participants reviewed Premier League Adrenalyn XL cards across practical areas including overall look of packaging, card aesthetic and clarity of instructions alongside social and emotional factors such as calming nature of playing and collecting, value for money and observed initial reaction to the product.

The feedback from both autistic testers, family members and carers was very positive, with 100% stating they would recommend the cards, alongside 75% of autistic participants reported satisfaction.

Now the No.1 selling trading card collection in the UK, Premier League Adrenalyn XL trading card packets come with a QR code giving access to virtual cards alongside many limited-edition physical cards featuring printed and real autographs from both current and legend Premier League players. As always, the sought-after Golden Baller cards remain a strong pull for collectors with a new material and finish that makes them even more desirable than ever before.

With official Autism Approval, Panini looks forward to incorporating the official Autism Approved logo into relevant communications and promotional assets whilst also exploring retailer and Premier League club partnerships to support sensory-based initiatives.

Katie Gritt, head of Marketing for Sport at Panini, commented: “We receive regular feedback from autistic people and parents with autistic children, praising how enjoyable our Premier League Adrenalyn XL trading card game is for autistic people and we wanted to understand more about what elements of the product worked well, and equally if there were areas we could improve on. As the biggest charity for autistic people in the UK it made perfect sense to partner with the National Autistic Society and go through its stringent testing process to earn official Autism Approval. We are delighted that the collection passed with flying colours and we look forward to partnering with football clubs to support the great work many do to create specific sensory areas for their autistic fans and their families. It will also allow us to partner with retailers to support their retail specific initiatives in support of the autistic community. It’s another very proud moment for us at Panini.”

Christine Flintoft-Smith, head of Autism Accreditation at the National Autistic Society, added: We are pleased that Panini have taken the time to seek the views and feedback of autistic people in relation to their product and congratulate them on achieving such positive feedback to achieve product approval status from the National Autistic Society. Although our testers represent a sample of the autistic community, their overall experience of the collector and trading cards was of high satisfaction and so has led the charity to approve their use. We hope to be able to provide further assurance to other products available to autistic people in the future.”