A systematic review and meta‐analysis of associations between primarily non‐autistic people's characteristics and attitudes toward autistic people

Kim, So Yoon; Song, Da-Yea; Bottema‐Beutel, Kristen; Gillespie-Lynch, Kristen; Cage, Eilidh

doi:10.1002/aur.2867

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…For instance, a recent review of research on the associations between individual characteristics and attitudes toward autistic people revealed that women and those with more autism knowledge and more frequent and high-quality contact with autistic people tend to have less stigma toward autistic people than their counterparts (S. Y. Kim et al, 2023). This suggests that men may need more training than women, and increasing knowledge and providing opportunities for contact with autistic people may reduce autism stigma.…”

Section: Autism Stigma and Anti-stigma Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While coding for bias due to confounding, we considered participants' gender, knowledge about autism, and quality and quantity of previous contact as potentially confounding factors based on evidence from a recent meta-analytic review, which found these variables were correlated with raters' stigma toward autistic people (S. Y. Kim et al, 2023). We considered the bias due to confounding as high-risk if the analysis did not statistically account for these factors.…”

Section: Coding Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Providing explanatory information about autism was the most common component of interventions, possibly because having accurate knowledge about autism has been associated with reduced autism stigma (S. Y. Kim et al, 2023). Other features of interventions varied greatly across studies, with relatively few interventions incorporating reference to the neurodiversity movement, simulation, discussion, and interaction experiences.…”

Section: Intervention Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The low internal consistency of instruments measuring knowledge about autism has also been shown in S. Y. Kim et al (2023), highlighting the need for reliable knowledge instruments.…”

Section: Outcome Variable Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…being male; S. Y. Kim et al, 2023). In both cases, participants' preexisting characteristics may be impacting the changes in autism stigma in relation to the intervention, and therefore, should be taken into account.…”

Section: Risk Of Bias Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Time to level up: A systematic review of interventions aiming to reduce stigma toward autistic people

Kim,

Song,

Bottema-Beutel

et al. 2023

Autism

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This systematic review examined 26 studies that implemented interventions to reduce stigma toward autistic people; the intervention recipients were primarily non-autistic people. Participants in the included studies were primarily White K-12 or undergraduate students. Most studies utilized one-time video or computer-based instruction, and more recent interventions tended to utilize online platforms. Studies varied in several respects: whether an autistic person was involved in the development and/or delivery of interventions, the intervention content, and the types and internal consistencies of the outcome variables. Risks of bias were prevalent. Masked outcome variables were used infrequently, and investigators were usually aware of group allocation. Among randomized controlled trials, the randomization processes were not sufficiently described, and non-randomized studies of interventions frequently did not account for confounding factors that could explain changes in stigma. Many non-randomized studies of interventions made unwarranted, causal claims about the intervention effectiveness on stigma reduction, and most studies did not sufficiently address limitations related to study design and risk of bias. The recommended areas of improvement include identifying active ingredients of interventions, measuring reliable changes in behaviors and attitudes, and targeting structural stigma. In addition, more robust procedures such as randomizing participants, using masked variables, and controlling baseline differences should be utilized. Lay abstract How non-autistic people think about autistic people impacts autistic people negatively. Many studies developed trainings to reduce autism stigma. The existing trainings vary a lot in terms of study design, content, and reported effectiveness. This means that a review studying how the studies have been conducted is needed. We also looked at the quality of these studies. We collected and studied 26 studies that tried to reduce stigma toward autistic people. The studies often targeted White K-12 students and college students. Most trainings were implemented once. Trainings frequently used video or computer. Especially, recent studies tended to use online platforms. The study quality was poor for most studies. Some studies made inaccurate claims about the intervention effectiveness. Studies did not sufficiently address study limitations. Future trainings should aim to figure out why and how interventions work. How intervention changes people’s behavior and thoughts should be studied. Researchers should study whether the training can change the societal stigma. Also, researchers should use a better study design.

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Section: Autism Stigma and Anti-stigma Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Coding Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Intervention Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The low internal consistency of instruments measuring knowledge about autism has also been shown in S. Y. Kim et al (2023), highlighting the need for reliable knowledge instruments.…”

Section: Outcome Variable Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Risk Of Bias Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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