Awareness of Autism in Primary School Teachers

Abstract

Objective. To assess the knowledge and perception of primary school teachers regarding autism in private and public schools of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on primary school teachers in different districts of Karachi. A sample size of 170 teachers was selected by purposive sampling. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. These questions assessed the teacher's knowledge and perception of Autism. Data was entered on SPSS version 20. Frequencies and percentages were taken out for categorical variables. Results. Of the total 170 teachers, 85 were from the Private and 85 from Public sector schools. 55% (n = 94) of the teachers knew about Autism through the media and only 9% (n = 15) had formal training through workshops on Autism. 62% (n = 105) of the teachers were of the opinion that Autism is treatable. Majority of the teachers (57%) said that proper training is required for teaching autistic children. Conclusion. The knowledge related to Autism in our existing sample has mostly come from the media. Although we cannot undermine the role of media, there is a need to give formal training to teachers regarding the differentiating features of Autism, which in turn will aid in early diagnosis of the disease.

Öğretmenlerin otizm spektrum bozukluğu hakkında bilgileri: Türkiye örneği

“…According to the most recent report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the prevalence of ASD, the disorder occurs in approximately 1 in 68 children and boys are five times more likely to have ASD than girls (Baio, 2014). While there is no cure for ASD, early diagnosis is important as the research evidence suggests that interventions designed to improve functioning of individuals with ASD may be more effective in younger children and optimize long-term effects (Arif, Niazy, Hassan, & Ahmed, 2013;Guthrie, Swineford, Nottke, & Wetherby, 2013;Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, & Bradshaw, 2014;Rakap, 2017;Reichow, Hume, Barton, & Boyd, 2018;Volkmar, Rogers, Paul, & Pelphrey, 2014). Evidence-based interventions that are effective for improving outcomes for children with autism include behavioral interventions, comprehensive behavioral treatment, language training, social skills training, parent training, naturalistic teaching, peer training, and pivotal response training (National Autism Center [NAC], 2015).…”

“…There has been a documented increase in the prevalence of ASD around the world (Arif et al, 2013;Elsabbagh et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2011) and Turkey as a country with very young population is not exception to this (Rakap, 2017). Although there is no national surveillance system to estimate the numbers of individuals with autism in Turkey, increasingly more children are being diagnosed with autism in recent years and receive educational and developmental services in schools/classrooms specifically designed for children with autism or in inclusive classrooms under the public school system (Cakiroglu & Melekoglu, 2014;Rakap, 2017;Rakap, Balikci, Parlak-Rakap, & Kalkan, 2016).…”

“…Stone (1987) who investigated autism knowledge of pediatricians, clinical psychologists, speech/language pathologists, school psychologists, and other specialists in the field conducted one of the first studies and reported that there were misconceptions in all professional groups; however, the specialists had the most current knowledge. Since the Stone (1987) study, surveys have included knowledge, perceptions, and understanding of other healthcare professionals (Hartley-McAndrew, Doody, & Mertz, 2014;Heidgerken, Geffken, Modi, & Frakey, 2005;Imran et al, 2011;Ozcelik et al, 2015), speech language pathologists (Cascella & Colella, 2004;Schwartz & Drager, 2008), medical students (Shah, 2001), pharmacists (Khanna & Jariwala, 2012), occupational therapists (James, Pizur-Barnekow, & Schefkind, 2014), residents of a college campus (Tipton & Blacher, 2014), pre-service teachers (Hart & More, 2013;Park, Chitiyo, & Choi, 2010;Rakap et al, 2016;Yasar & Kronin, 2014), and educators (Al-Sharbati et al, 2015, Arif et al, 2013Helps, Newsom-Davis, & Callias, 1999;Mavropoulou & Padeliadu, 2000;Syriopoulou-Delli, Cassimos, Tripsianis, & Polychronopoulou, 2012;Yumak & Akgul, 2010). These studies reported mixed findings with respect to professionals' knowledge, perceptions, and understanding of autism.…”

A study exploring knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards autism among adults applying to a Family Health Center in Istanbul

“…This condition onsets at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life [2]. Even though behavioural differences become manifest before the age of 2, diagnosis is usually made at 3 years of age or above [3].…”

Knowledge and attitude concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among Taif Medical College students Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…17 First targeted general population, and the second targeted primary school teachers. 18,19 To our knowledge no study was done locally assessing same target among medical students.…”