Public awareness and stigma of autism spectrum disorder in Iran; An online survey.
Iranian adults online know little about autism—aim education at older, less-schooled groups and measure with a validated scale.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rafiei et al. (2023) ran an online survey to see how much Iranians know about autism. They asked adults across the country about ASD facts and about stigma.
The team also looked at who knew less. They checked age, gender, and education level to find the groups that need more help.
What they found
Only one in three people showed 'adequate' autism knowledge. Older adults and those with less school scored lowest.
Stigma was mixed. Forty-three percent showed no stigma, yet many still held wrong beliefs. Knowledge and stigma were linked.
How this fits with other research
McClain et al. (2019) built a short, 31-item scale that Mona could have used. Using a tested tool like the ASKSG would let future Iranian surveys compare scores with other countries.
Taylor et al. (2017) warn that most autism-knowledge tools lack solid psychometrics. Mona’s team did not name their survey, so we can’t tell if it met quality standards. Check any scale against the 2017 review before you use it.
Libero et al. (2016) found low-SES parents in the U.S. also knew less about services. The Iranian data mirror that link: less schooling predicted lower knowledge. Together the papers show education gaps on two continents.
Why it matters
If you run parent training or community talks in Iran, target older adults and people who left school early. Use plain language and visual aids. Share Brunson’s ASKSG before and after to prove your teaching worked. Track stigma items too; facts alone may not erase bias.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: There is no systematic examination of the Iranian general population's knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). AIM: In this study, we aimed to assess stigma and knowledge about ASD among Iranian people and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with them. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional online survey from April to May 2020, using a convenience sampling method. We designed an online questionnaire using Google forms. We sent a message explaining the study goals and the link to the online questionnaire to groups on popular social platforms in Iran. We used Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire (ASK-Q) to assess ASD knowledge and stigma. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: In total, 600 individuals participated in the study, of whom 301 (50.2 %) were women and 299 (49.8 %) were men. Out of 600 participants, 216 (36 %) had adequate knowledge of the diagnosis/symptoms subscale, 206 (34.3 %) for the etiology subscale, 200 (33.3 %) for the treatment subscale, and 260 (43.4 %) had no stigma toward ASD. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The level of knowledge about ASD is insufficient among Iranian people of this study. People with lower knowledge of ASD, including older adults and individuals with lower educational levels, may benefit the most from ASD awareness interventions.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104441