Autism in Australia: Community Knowledge and Autistic People’s Experiences

Jones, Sandra C.; Akram, Muhammad; Gordon, Chloe S.; Murphy, Nicole; Sharkie, Fiona

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04819-3

Cited by 29 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 45 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…These findings show a high level of knowledge when compared to a prior survey conducted in Saudi Arabia, which found that the degree of understanding was only 41% [ 29 ]. One study in Australia and another in Africa found similar results to ours; in both studies, participants had a general understanding of ASD but very little understanding of the disease’s cause [ 30 , 31 ]. The majority of Australians were aware of ASD, but they believed it was caused by the MMR vaccine.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Community Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Alhommos

Aldoukhi

Alyaseen

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Objectives: To explore the knowledge of the general community in Saudi Arabia about autism spectrum disorder. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted for the period between June and September 2021 in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire tool. The questionnaire tool was developed based on a literature review. The questionnaire tool consists of 34 items that assess knowledge about autism spectrum disorder in terms of its etiology, autistic patient features, autistic children’s abilities and needs, and autistic adults’ abilities and needs. The total score for each subscale was used to define the level of knowledge of it. Correct answers were given a score of one, and the total score for each subscale was used to describe the level of knowledge of it. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of good knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (defined as a total score equal or above the mean score of the study participants). Results: This study enlisted the participation of 500 people. The participants’ overall understanding of autism spectrum disorder was moderate, with a mean score of 20.6 (SD: 5.6) out of 34, or 60.6 %. The participants’ knowledge levels ranged from 32.2 % to 77.5 %. The items about the abilities and needs of adolescents and young people with autism had the highest degree of knowledge (77.5 %). The items about autism's causes had the lowest level of expertise (32.2 %). When compared to others, females, those with a master’s degree, and those working in the healthcare field had a higher likelihood of knowing more about the autism spectrum condition. (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge about autism spectrum disorder in Saudi Arabia is moderate. Social media channels and healthcare centers should be used to conduct educational campaigns for parents. The goal of this educational campaign should be to improve parents’ ability to recognize the causes of autism.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Community Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Alhommos

Aldoukhi

Alyaseen

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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“…This systematic review has found that autistic individuals (without accompanying intellectual or cognitive disabilities) appear acutely aware of how they are being stigmatised by others. They are able to identify societal stereotypes of autistic people that parallel literature from the perspectives of non-autistic people, such as common myths that autistic people are unempathetic, socially disinterested and potentially dangerous (Durand-Zaleski et al, 2012;John et al, 2018;S. C. Jones et al, 2021;Wood & Freeth, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since Gray's pioneering study in 1993, public awareness of autism may have improved in parts of the world. This has been suggested by surveys conducted in Australia (Jones, Akram, et al, 2021), Denmark (Jensen et al, 2016), France (Durand-Zaleski et al, 2012), Korea (Park et al, 2018), United Kingdom (UK) (Cage et al, 2019), United States (US) and Canada (Mitchell & Locke, 2015) showing that the general population has a basic level of knowledge of autism, such as being able to correctly recognize some autistic traits. However, these survey results also reflected persisting misconceptions about, and reluctance to interact with, autistic people (Jensen et al, 2016;Park et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

A systematic review on autistic people's experiences of stigma and coping strategies

Han¹,

Scior²,

Avramides³

et al. 2021

Autism Research

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Autism can be understood as a concealable stigmatised identity. This is the first systematic review to synthesise the literature on autistic people's experiences of stigma and coping strategies. 2877 studies were screened and 27 were included in this review. The reviewed literature demonstrates that autistic individuals are acutely aware of being stereotyped, judged, and discriminated by others. Autistic people also show signs of internalising stigma, rendering them more vulnerable to low self-worth and poorer mental health. To manage the impact of stigma, the included studies suggest that autistic individuals may use these strategies: concealment and camouflaging, selective disclosure and self-advocacy, as well as positive reframing and reconstructing identity. However, the evidence is limited and mixed in terms of how helpful and effective these strategies are. Future studies should include autistic populations with a wider range of intellectual abilities and explore interventions that can support autistic people in managing stigma to supplement interventions that seek to reduce stigma towards autistic people. The power of language in perpetuating and challenging stigma also has important implications for research and practice, underscoring the need for researchers and practitioners to reflect carefully on the messages they are communicating about autism. Lay summaryThis review has found that autistic people often experience stigma, which refers to negative attitudes and treatment from others. Because of that, some autistic people also have negative beliefs about themselves, which may affect their self-worth and mental health.While research suggests that autistic people use a range of strategies to manage stigma, the evidence is limited and mixed in terms of how helpful these strategies are.

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“…However, these survey results also reflected persisting misconceptions about, and reluctance to interact with, autistic people (Jensen et al, 2016;Park et al, 2018). Jones et al (2021) highlighted gaps between community reports of people's awareness of autism and the lived experience of autistic 6 people, suggesting that public knowledge may be superficial and that there is a need to move from mere 'awareness' to deeper understanding and acceptance.…”

Section: Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Since Gray's pioneering study in 1993, public awareness of autism has likely improved around the world. Surveys conducted in Australia (S. C. Jones et al, 2021), Denmark (Jensen et al, 2016), France (Durand-Zaleski et al, 2012, Korea (Park et al, 2018), United Kingdom (UK) , United States (US) and Canada (Mitchell & Locke, 2015) suggest that the general population has a basic level of knowledge of autism, such as being able to correctly recognise some autistic traits. However, these survey results also reflected persisting misconceptions about, and reluctance to interact with, autistic people (Jensen et al, 2016;Park et al, 2018).…”

Section: Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies

Han¹,

Scior²,

Avramides³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Autism can be understood as a concealable stigmatised identity. This is the first systematic review to synthesise the literature on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies. 2877 records were screened and 26 studies included in this review. The reviewed literature demonstrates that autistic individuals are acutely aware of being stereotyped, judged, and discriminated by others. Autistic people also show signs of internalising stigma, rendering them more vulnerable to low self-worth and poorer mental health. To manage the impact of stigma, the included studies suggest that autistic individuals may use these strategies: concealment and camouflaging, selective disclosure and self-advocacy, as well as positive reframing and reconstructing identity. However, the evidence is limited and mixed in terms of how helpful and effective these strategies are. Future studies should include autistic populations with a wider range of intellectual abilities and explore interventions that seek to support autistic people in managing stigma. The power of language in perpetuating and challenging stigma also has important implications for research and practice, underscoring the need for researchers and practitioners to reflect carefully on the messages they are communicating about autism.

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Autism in Australia: Community Knowledge and Autistic People’s Experiences

Cited by 29 publications

References 45 publications

Community Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Community Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A systematic review on autistic people's experiences of stigma and coping strategies

A systematic review on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies

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