Linking Knowledge and Attitudes: Determining Neurotypical Knowledge about and Attitudes Towards Autism

Background:

Following an on-line discussion with the autism community in Australia about areas of research they prioritise, the responses frequently reported experiences of being misunderstood and meeting numerous misconception about autism in society. These experiences may be a result of stigma. Stigma contains three key elements; knowledge issues (ignorance); attitudinal issues (prejudice), and behavioural issues (discrimination). Therefore, knowledge and attitudes may contribute to how autistic people are treated, and are important to identify. However, there is a paucity of studies exploring attitudes toward autism and existing studies have reported inconclusive results, often based on small sample sizes. In addition, no studies have been conducted in Australia.

Objectives:

This study and aimed to explore neurotypical knowledge about, and attitudes towards, autism and to identify factors that influenced these attitudes.

Methods:

Co-produced with an autistic researcher, a cross sectional on-line survey was distributed. One section of it explored attitudes using the existing Societal Attitudes Towards Autism (SATA) scale. A second section explored knowledge. It was developed in consultation with the wider autistic community and comprised of four different areas of knowledge. The survey was distributed to neurotypical adults throughout Australia. A total of 1,078 entries completed the SATA section and were used for analysis of attitudes. As 24 of these participants did not completed the knowledge section, 1,054 entries were considered for further statistical analysis. The sample represented the Australian population with the exception of a larger proportion with tertiary degrees and coming from metropolitan as opposed to regional parts of Australia (Table 1). Men were on average older than women (Men=43, SE=1 vs. Women=40, SE=0.5, p<.01).

Results:

The SATA scores were totalled for each participant, with high scores representing a positive attitude. Questions from the knowledge section of the questionnaire were grouped into areas, as shown in Table 2. Each area scores were summed. Following this, backwards entry multiple linear regression modelling were conducted, in order to determine the independent variables that were seen to influence the SATA scores. Overall, 81.3% of participants reported a strong positive attitude towards autism and 81.5% of participants had a high level of knowledge. Knowledge total scores (ranging from 21-65; mean 51.3) proved being positively related to the attitudes (SATA) in the model. Knowledge was then entered into a refined model (r² =.129) by its sections (Table 2), which included Section 1, Societal Views and Ideas (Standardised β=0.205, β 95% CI=0.268 - 0.510, p<.001), Section 2: What could it be Like to Have Autism (Standardised β=0.121, β 95% CI=0.109 – 0.346, p<.001), the dichotomous response to the question: “Do you know and have you spent time around someone with autism?” (Standardised β=0.115, β 95% CI=0.697 – 2.188, p<.001) and, finally, gender (Standardised β=0.071, β 95% CI=0.167 – 1.649, p=.016).

Conclusions: Knowing somebody with autism and being female had a positive impact on attitudes on top of the two knowledge sections whereas age, residential area or formal education had no impact; results that can inform targeted information interventions.