Knowledge of autism spectrum disorder among the general population in Turkey: implications for public training and education

Abstract

A few studies have investigated what general public know about autism in international literature and there is no study conducted for this purpose in Turkey. This study examined autism knowledge of the general public in Turkey using a street survey. A total of 874 individuals participated in the study across five cities. Overall, findings showed that participants had low levels of knowledge about autism. However, participants who had family members with autism had a significantly higher level of knowledge than those who did not have family members with autism. With respect to demographics, participants who were male, student and those who had a college or graduate degree had higher level of autism knowledge. Results call for continued efforts to raise autism awareness, especially targeting individuals who do not have family members or relatives with autism. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.