Linking knowledge and attitudes: Determining neurotypical knowledge about and attitudes towards autism

• Published in: PloS one 2019-07, Vol.14 (7), p.e0220197-e0220197
• Main Authors: Kuzminski, Rebecca, Netto, Julie, Wilson, Joel, Falkmer, Torbjorn, Chamberlain, Angela, Falkmer, Marita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attitudes; Australia - epidemiology; Autism; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; College students; Communication; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic variables; Demographics; Disability; Education; Families & family life; Female; Friendship; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Higher education; Human behavior; Humans; Jargon; Knowledge; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Occupational therapy; Pathology; Peers; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Prejudice - psychology; Prejudice - statistics & numerical data; Psychological aspects; Quality of life; Research and Analysis Methods; Schizophrenia; Social aspects; Social Distance; Social isolation; Social Sciences; Social Stigma; Social work; Speech therapy; Stigma; Surveys and Questionnaires; Swine; Terminology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220197

"Why are neurotypicals so pig-ignorant about autism?" an autistic person wrote on the Curtin Autism Research Group's on-line portal as a response to a call for research questions. Co-produced with an autistic researcher, knowledge about and attitudes towards autism were analysed from 1,054 completed surveys, representing the Australian neurotypical adult population. The majority, 81.5% of participants had a high level of knowledge and 81.3% of participants had a strong positive attitude towards autism. Neither age, nor education level had an impact on attitudes. However, attitudes were influenced by knowledge about 'Societal Views and Ideas'; 'What it Could be Like to Have Autism'; and the demographic variables 'Knowing and having spent time around someone with autism'; and gender (women having more positive attitudes than men). Thus, targeted interventions, geared more towards men than women, to increase knowledge about autism could further improve attitudes and increase acceptance of the autistic community.