University Students’ Notion of Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

Cultural background might influence knowledge and attitudes regarding autism, influencing willingness to interact. We studied whether beliefs, knowledge, contact, and attitude differed between the UK and Malaysia. With mediation analyses, we studied how these factors influenced willingness to interact. Autism was more often linked to food in the UK, and to upbringing in Malaysia. Knowledge, contact, and acceptance were greater in the UK. When excluding psychology students, Malaysian students were less willing to interact with autistic people. Knowledge and contact appeared to improve acceptance, but acceptance did not mediate the relation between country, beliefs, knowledge, and experience; and willingness to interact. Knowledge and contact regarding autism might improve acceptance in different cultures, but how acceptance could improve interaction is unclear.

Neurodiversity and Autism Intervention: Reconciling Perspectives Through a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention Framework

“…Exposure to and acceptance of neurodiversity is one such factor that may influence these beliefs. Indeed, given the existence of cross-cultural differences in attitudes and stigma towards autism and disability (de Vries et al, 2020 ; Gillespie-Lynch et al, 2019 ; Someki et al, 2018 ), interventionists may sometimes face the challenging task of respecting clients’ cultural beliefs while also encouraging caregivers to embrace a neurodiversity-aligned perspective. The first step in this process is for clinicians and researchers to develop their own cultural awareness and acknowledge their own personal biases (Fong et al, 2016 ).…”

Do Autistic People’s Support Needs and Non-Autistic People’s Support for the Neurodiversity Movement Contribute to Heightened Autism Stigma in South Korea vs. the US?

“…An emerging body of cross-cultural research suggests that public autism stigma, measured by desired social distance with autistic individuals, is heightened in South Korea (Kim et al, 2021 ), Japan (Someki et al, 2018 ), Lebanon (Obeid et al, 2015 ), and Malaysia (de Vries et al, 2020 ) compared to the US or UK. This cross-cultural pattern aligns with speculation that stigma more generally may be higher in more collectivistic (i.e., prioritizing group harmony and cohesion) than individualistic (i.e., prioritizing independence and individual success) cultures (e.g., Papadopoulos et al, 2013 ).…”

An Explorative Study of Affiliate Stigma, Resilience, and Quality of Life Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

“… 10 Thirdly, culture affects people’s knowledge of and attitude towards ASD. 11 Stigma in collectivist cultures, like the one in Malaysia, seems to be more prevalent compared to individualist cultures, like those in many Western countries. 12 Finally, awareness of ASD is still comparatively low in the former region and a review of literature has shown that there have been limited studies on stigma and ASD conducted in South-East Asia, particularly in Malaysia.…”