Assessing Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness Among Future Child Development Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of autism awareness among undergraduate students enrolled in a Child Development programme at a private university in Türkiye. It will also look into whether awareness differs depending on the academic year, family history of autism, or the presence of autistic people in the students' immediate social circle. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the academic year 2023–2024 with 122 volunteer students from the university University's Child Development program. The Autism Awareness Scale for Child Development Students and a demographic information form were used to gather data. To investigate group differences, statistical studies used independent samples t-tests and One-Way ANOVA. The results show that there are no statistically significant variations in autism awareness ratings between close social contact with individuals diagnosed with autism (p =.308), between academic years (p =.570), or between the presence of autistic people in the family (p =.787). Regardless of these factors, awareness levels were relatively similar across groups. The findings indicated no statistically significant differences in autism awareness according to academic year, family history of ASD, or prior social contact with individuals diagnosed with autism. These results suggest that autism awareness was relatively consistent across the participant groups examined. In order to support early identification and inclusive practices, these findings underscore the necessity of more comprehensive training activities aimed at improving autism knowledge within this crucial future workforce.