A Study on Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorders among a Sample Population of Odisha

Abstract

Abstract Background: The number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. However, ASD remains undetected in developing countries like India because of lack of knowledge regarding this issue among the common people. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge about ASD among the general population of Odisha and the factors influencing that knowledge. Materials and Methods: A total of 207 people of Odisha were given a self-administered questionnaire, and knowledge was assessed based on their responses. Sociodemographic characteristics were also taken into account. Results: In this study, the mean age of respondents was 33.20 ± 11.63 years. Female respondents were 44.5% and male respondents were 55.5%. Females had more knowledge regarding ASD as compared to males. The knowledge regarding the etiology of ASD was poor (<50%), but the clinical features were well known to majority of participants (60%). The study population had poor knowledge (<35%) regarding diagnostic techniques of ASD. Persons who came across any autistic child in their life had a significantly higher knowledge score (16.77 ± 2.63) about ASD as compared to other people who had lack of experience (11.29 ± 4.16 with P = 0.007). Conclusion: There is a need of improvement in creating awareness of ASD among the general public. Areas for targeted education should be identified in order to enhance the quality of life of autistic children and their families.