I’m Fine with Autistic People,but Other Folks Feel Uncomfortable: Exploring the Gap Between Reported Community Attitudes and Autistic Lived Experience

Abstract

Background:

Studies of community attitudes toward autism often report predominantly positive or neutral attitudes toward autistic people. However, studies of the experiences of autistic people and their families consistently report high levels of stigma, discrimination, and exclusion from society.

Methods:

Our autistic-led study utilized the “third person” method to assess subconscious attitudes toward autism, by asking participants how they and hypothetical “others” would feel about interacting with autistic people in a range of scenarios. We conducted an online survey using a probability-based panel representative of the Australian population with 1626 non-autistic adults who reported not having close contact with an autistic person.

Results:

The majority of the participants agreed that there is a need to find better ways to support autistic people and that autistic people should be able to access disability services, although this varied by service type. There were overt differences in participants’ reports of how they would feel about meeting an autistic person and how “other people” would feel in the same situation, with other people consistently described as considerably more likely to feel uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. Participants also reported a lower level of comfort, for both themselves and others, with engaging and interacting with autistic adults compared with autistic children. These findings provide a bridge between studies with and by non-autistic people that report positive attitudes and studies with and by autistic people that report experiences of exclusion, discrimination, and stigmatization. The significant literature on, and lived experience of, autistic children and their families would suggest that there is a considerable element of social desirability bias in responses to surveys of attitudes toward autism and that in reality our communities are populated with these “other” people.

Conclusion:

Future research into community attitudes should utilize measures such as these that address social desirability bias and explore deeply held beliefs and attitudes that may not be expressed in response to direct questions. Future policy and advocacy interventions should focus on acceptance and appreciation of autistic adults. These are the attitudes we need to change if we are going to build a society that is truly inclusive.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

Research shows that the reported attitudes of non-autistic people toward autism don’t match autistic people’s lived experiences within the community. While most people in the community say they like autistic people, many autistic individuals feel left out and unfairly treated in schools, at work, and when getting help.

What was the purpose of this study?

We aimed to explore how non-autistic people feel about interacting with autistic people by asking them about their feelings and what they think “others” feel.

What did the researchers do?

Our autistic-led research team surveyed 1626 non-autistic adults from a panel representing the Australian population. We asked them how they feel about spending time with autistic children and adults in different situations, and having family members who are autistic. We also asked them how they thought other people would feel about meeting and interacting with autistic children and adults, and having autistic people in their family, in the same situations.

What were the results and conclusions of the study?

Most people agreed that we need to find better ways to support autistic people, and said that they would like to know more about how to support autistic people. Across all of the situations we asked about, people were much more likely to say that they would feel comfortable meeting and interacting with autistic people than “other people” would. They said that they, and other people, would feel more comfortable in situations that involved autistic children than those that involved autistic adults.

What is new or controversial about these findings?

These findings help us understand the disconnect between how non-autistic people say they feel about interacting with autistic people and how autistic people experience these interactions. While studies with non-autistic people report positive feelings, autistic people often feel excluded and badly treated in the community. Our study suggests people may not always be honest about, or might not understand, their true feelings toward autistic people. The findings also show that it is important to distinguish between autistic children and autistic adults—both in research and in interventions to improve social inclusion—as community attitudes toward autistic adults are much less positive.

What are potential weaknesses in the study?

The study participants were Australian adults, so the findings may not generalize to other populations.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

These findings will encourage future research into community attitudes toward autistic adults. They show the importance of using measures that explore deeply held beliefs that may not be expressed in response to direct questions. They also have the potential to inform policy and raise awareness of the need for educational and advocacy campaigns to focus on acceptance and appreciation of autistic adults. These are the attitudes we need to change if we are going to build a society that is truly inclusive.