The knowledge of Public Health Midwives on Autism Spectrum Disorder in two selected districts of the Western Province of Sri Lanka.

BackgroundIn designing programs to raise the community level of awareness about childhood autism in sub-Saharan Africa, it is logical to use the primary healthcare workers as contact point for education of the general public. Tertiary healthcare workers could play the role of trainers on childhood autism at primary healthcare level. Assessing their baseline knowledge about childhood autism to detect areas of knowledge gap is an essential ingredient in starting off such programs that would be aimed at early diagnosis and interventions. Knowledge of the healthcare workers on availability of facilities and law that would promote the required interventions is also important. This study assessed the baseline knowledge about childhood autism and opinion among Nigerian healthcare workers on availability of facilities and law caring for the needs and rights of children with childhood autism and other developmental disorders.MethodA total of one hundred and thirty four (134) consented healthcare workers working in tertiary healthcare facilities located in south east and south-south regions of Nigeria were interviewed with Socio-demographic, Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) and Opinion on availability of Facilities and Law caring for the needs and rights of children with Childhood Autism and other developmental disorders (OFLCA) questionnaires.ResultsThe total mean score of participated healthcare workers on KCAHW questionnaire was 12.35 ± 4.40 out of a total score of 19 possible. Knowledge gap was found to be higher in domain 3 (symptoms of obsessive and repetitive pattern of behavior), followed by domains 1 (symptoms of impairments in social interaction), 4 (type of disorder autism is and associated co-morbidity) and 2 (symptoms of communication impairments) of KCAHW respectively among the healthcare workers. Knowledge about childhood autism (KCA) as measured by scores on KCAHW questionnaire was significantly associated with age group distribution of the healthcare workers, with those age group of fourth decades and above more likely to have higher mean score (p = 0.004) and previous experience of managing children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (p = 0.000). KCA showed near significant association with area of specialty, with those healthcare workers in psychiatry compared to pediatrics having higher mean score (p = 0.071) and also with years of working experience of the healthcare workers (p = 0.056). More than half of the healthcare workers subscribed to the opinion that facilities and law caring for the needs and rights of children with childhood autism and other developmental disorders are lacking in Nigeria.ConclusionThe correlates of KCA may help in selection of those tertiary healthcare workers that would best fit the role of trainers. It is important to update the knowledge gaps of those healthcare workers who scored low in different domains of KCAHW questionnaire. It is imperative for policy makers in Nigeria to advocate and implement multidisciplinary healthcare service system that would ensure early diagnosis and interventions. Nationally representative baseline epidemiological data that would guide policy and planning are also desirable.

BackgroundThere is increasing public and professional awareness of autism spectrum disorders with early recognition, diagnosis and interventions that are known to improve prognosis. Poor knowledge about childhood autism among paediatric and psychiatric nurses who are members of multidisciplinary teams that care for such children may be a major barrier to early interventions that could improve quality of life and prognosis in childhood autism. Factors that influence knowledge about childhood autism among these nurses are not known. This study assessed knowledge about childhood autism among paediatric and psychiatric nurses in Ebonyi state, Nigeria and determined the factors that could be influencing such knowledge.MethodsForty specialist paediatric and forty psychiatric nurses, making a total sample of eighty, were randomly selected from all the health care facilities in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. A socio-demographic questionnaire and knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire were administered to them and the study was a point survey.ResultsThe total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire among the nurses that participated in the study was 12.56 ± 3.23 out of a total of 19 possible. The mean score for the paediatric nurses was 11.78 ± 3.64 while psychiatric nurses had mean score of 13.35 ± 2.58. The mean scores in Domain 1 were 6.17 ± 1.75 for the paediatric nurses and 6.52 ± 1.43 for the psychiatric nurses. The mean scores in Domain 2 were 0.65 ± 0.48 for the paediatric nurses and 0.80 ± 0.41 for the psychiatric nurses. Domain 3 showed mean scores of 1.97 ± 1.25 for the paediatric nurses while psychiatric nurses scored 2.62 ± 1.23. Domain 4 yielded the mean scores of 2.97 ± 1.54 and 3.42 ± 0.98 for the paediatric and psychiatric nurses respectively.There was significant relationship between the total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire for the two groups and the area of specialisation of the nurses (t = -2.23, df = 78, p = 0.03) and there was also significant relationship between previous involvement in managing children with childhood autism as a specialist paediatric or psychiatric nurse and the total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire (t = 6.90, df = 78, p = 0.00).ConclusionThe scores reflect deficits in knowledge about childhood autism among the study cohorts. Paediatric and psychiatric nurses as members of multidisciplinary teams that care for children with childhood autism are expected to provide holistic care and adequate counselling to the families of these children. Unfortunately in this environment, they are not fully equipped with enough knowledge about childhood autism. Education on childhood autism is therefore needed and can be provided through continuing medical education and emphasizing childhood autism in their training curriculum. This will enhance early identification and diagnosis of childhood autism with early interventions that are known to improve prognosis.

BackgroundKnowledge and awareness about childhood autism is low among health workers and the general community in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries. Poor knowledge and awareness about childhood autism, especially among health workers can compromise early recognition and interventions which had been known to improve prognosis in children with autism. In formulating policy and designing interventions for these children, there is need to develop a reliable tool that can be used in assessing baseline knowledge about childhood autism among health workers and the impact that future continued education and awareness campaign may have on such baseline knowledge. Knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire was designed for this purpose.MethodsThe KCAHW questionnaire is a nineteen (19) item self-administered questionnaire that is divided into four domains. KCAHW questionnaires were distributed to fifty (50) psychiatric nurses involved in community mental health services in South-Eastern Nigeria to complete. After two weeks period, the KCAHW questionnaires were re-administered to the same fifty (50) psychiatric nurses to assess their knowledge about childhood autism and to assess the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of this questionnaire.ResultsKCAHW questionnaire showed good test-retest reliability when the mean domain and total scores at first and second time administration were compared. The four mean domain scores and the mean total scores at first and second time administration were significantly correlated. The questionnaire also had a good overall internal consistency when the mean scores of the four domains were correlated with mean total scores (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97).ConclusionThe KCAHW questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessing knowledge of health workers about childhood autism. It would be a useful tool in improving early recognition of features of autism among affected children in Sub-Saharan African and other developing countries of the world where knowledge and awareness about childhood autism is low.

BackgroundBecause of their peculiar sociocultural background, healthcare workers in sub-Saharan African subcultures may have various conceptions on different aspects of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), such as etiology, treatment and issues of prognosis. These various conceptions, if different from current knowledge in literature about ASD, may negatively influence help-seeking behavior of parents of children with ASD who seek advice and information from the healthcare workers. This study assessed the opinions of healthcare workers in Nigeria on aspects of etiology, treatability and preventability of childhood autism, and relates their opinions to the sociodemographic variables.MethodsHealthcare workers working in four tertiary healthcare facilities located in the south-east and south-south regions of Nigeria were interviewed with a sociodemographic questionnaire, personal opinion on etiology, treatability and preventability of childhood autism (POETPCA) questionnaire and knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire to assess their knowledge and opinions on various aspects of childhood autism.ResultsA total of 134 healthcare workers participated in the study. In all, 78 (58.2%), 19 (14.2%) and 36 (26.9%) of the healthcare workers were of the opinion that the etiology of childhood autism can be explained by natural, preternatural and supernatural causes, respectively. One (0.7%) of the healthcare workers was unsure of the explanation of the etiology. Knowledge about childhood autism as measured by scores on the KCAHW questionnaire was the only factor significantly associated with the opinions of the healthcare workers on etiology of childhood autism. In all, 73 (54.5%) and 43 (32.1%), of the healthcare workers subscribed to the opinion that childhood autism is treatable and preventable respectively. Previous involvement with managing children with ASD significantly influenced the opinion of the healthcare workers in subscribing to treatability of childhood autism, while working experience of less than 6 years among the healthcare workers significantly influenced the opinion of the healthcare workers in admitting to believing in the preventability of childhood autism.ConclusionIn designing policies and programs to change negative opinions or beliefs of healthcare workers about childhood autism, there is a need for baseline information such as this survey. Changing the negative opinions or beliefs of the healthcare workers about childhood autism should encourage appropriate help-seeking behavior among parents of children with ASD who may be seeking advice or information from the healthcare workers. This would encourage early interventions, which are essential to prognosis of childhood autism.

Changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism in the DSM-5 raised concerns that some children with DSM-IV Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) would not meet the DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research specifically applying the DSM-5 ASD criteria to preschool-aged children is required given the importance of a timely autism diagnosis and early intervention. Few studies have specifically applied the DSM-5 ASD criteria to preschool-aged children. Autism diagnoses and symptoms may change as children develop over time; however, few studies have longitudinally examined patterns of diagnostic and symptom change from early childhood into adolescence. The aims of this thesis were therefore to compare autism diagnoses according to the DSM-IV and DSM-5, to longitudinally examine the diagnostic stability of autism over time using both diagnostic systems; and finally to explore the patterns of DSM-5 ASD symptom stability and change from early childhood to early adolescence. Between 2003 and 2005, 185 young children (aged 20-55 months) with autism and/or developmental delay were assessed as part of a longitudinal study. A subset of this sample (n=50) were then re-assessed in early adolescence (aged 11-15 years). Best-estimate clinical diagnoses were given according to DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria based on a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, including the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). File reviews for the 50 participants were completed to retrospectively apply the DSM-5 ASD criteria in early childhood. To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria, ADOS and ADI-R items were assigned to the DSM-5 criteria and retrospectively applied to the full sample in early childhood (n=185). The findings indicated good DSM-5 sensitivity (.84) at the expense of specificity (.54). Children with PDD who were not classified with DSM-5 ASD (n=20) had significantly lower rates of comorbid behaviour and emotional problems than children with PDD who were classified with DSM-5 ASD (n=106). In children with PDD, gender, language delay, developmental level or adaptive behaviour did not significantly differ between those classified with DSM-5 ASD and those who were not classified with DSM-5 ASD. Best-estimate DSM-IV and DSM-5 diagnoses were then compared for the sample. Of the 43 children with PDD, 12% did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for ASD in early childhood (aged less than 5 years). These children typically had DSM-IV diagnoses of Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and required symptoms on one additional subdomain to meet the DSM-5 criteria. By adolescence, they had developed sufficient symptoms to meet the full DSM-5 criteria for ASD. In early adolescence (aged 11-15 years), 10% of children with PDD did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for ASD based on their current symptoms alone, although they met the diagnostic criteria once past symptoms were taken into account. Consistent with previous research, DSM-IV Autistic Disorder remained stable over time (89%) while all children with PDD-NOS had a change in diagnosis. Stability of DSM-IV PDD (98%) and DSM-5 ASD (89%) were high. Changes in core ASD symptoms between early childhood and early adolescence differed based on the measure used. Clinician-observed (ADOS) symptoms remained stable over time; however, ADI-R Social-Communication symptoms reduced over time while changes relating to restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBs) differed depending on the RRB subtype. RRB symptoms relating to stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech reduced over time while RRB symptoms relating to insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualised patterns of verbal or nonverbal behaviour increased. Higher developmental level in early childhood was associated with lower ASD symptoms on average during childhood and adolescence; however, it was not associated with symptom change over time. Together, the findings from this thesis contribute to the growing body of research into the impact of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in young children and the characteristics of those who may not meet the diagnostic criteria. The findings indicate that patterns of symptom change may differ based on the assessment tool utilised and that differentiating between ASD symptom subtypes is necessary as broader domain scores may mask differing symptom trajectories. Although autism diagnoses may typically remain stable over time, some children may not yet have sufficient symptoms to meet the DSM-5 criteria for ASD in early childhood. Furthermore, the types of symptoms that require the most clinical attention may change as children develop. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring of children with autism to ensure that intervention programs are adjusted based on the needs of each child.

BackgroundEarlier studies suggest that knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among healthcare workers in Nigeria is low. This present study assessed the knowledge of Nigerian final year medical students about symptoms of ASD and some other aspects of ASD. This is a cross sectional descriptive study that drew a total of seven hundred and fifty-seven (757) final year medical students from ten (10) randomly selected fully accredited medical schools out of a total of twenty-seven (27) fully accredited medical schools in Nigeria. Sociodemographic and Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaires were used to assess knowledge of final year medical students about ASD and obtain demographic information.ResultsOnly few, 218 (28.8 %) of the 757 final year medical students had seen and participated in evaluation and management of at least a child with ASD during their clinical postings in pediatrics and psychiatry. Knowledge and recognition of symptoms of ASD is observed to be better among this group of final year medical students as shown by higher mean scores in the four domains of KCAHW questionnaire. Knowledge about ASD varies across gender and regions. Misconceptions about ASD were also observed among the final year medical students.ConclusionsMore focus needs to be given to ASD in the curriculum of Nigerian undergraduate medical students, especially during their psychiatry and pediatric clinical postings.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1433-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social communication and interaction, repetitive patterns of behaviour and focused interests and activities. Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists play vital roles in identifying and supporting autistic children with their families. They may help with therapy, rehabilitation, crisis interventions and outreach services. Adequate knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists may enhance early recognition, diagnosis, appropriate referral and interventions that are known to improve prognosis in autistic children. This study determined Medical social workers’ and Clinical psychologists’ understanding of ASD. Materials and methods: Socio-demographic and Knowledge About Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaires were administered to consenting 63 Medical social workers and 35 Clinical psychologists. Results: Sixty-three Medical Social workers and 35 Clinical psychologists participated in the study. The mean age of Medical social workers was 42.1 ± 8.6 years and 41.0 ± 8.9 years for Clinical psychologists (P = 0.525). Clinical psychologists who were males were 42.9% and 41.3% were male Medical social workers (P = 0.879). Medical social workers who have ever managed a child with autism in the course of their career were 42.9% while Clinical psychologists were 40.0% (P = 0.784). The mean knowledge score for variables in domain 1 for Clinical psychologists was 6.34 ± 1.78 while Medical social workers scored 5.40 ± 2.30 (P = 0.038). The score in domain 2 for Clinical psychologists was 0.91 ± 0.28 while Medical social workers scored 0.71 ± 0.46 (P = 0.009). The mean total score for Clinical psychologists was13.00 ± 2.86 whereas Medical social workers scored 11.51 ± 3.43 (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Clinical psychologists significantly scored higher than Medical social workers in knowledge mean scores in domains 1 and 2 and total mean scores. The scores of Clinical Psychologists though higher than scores by Medical social workers are still considered inadequate. It is recommended that the training curriculum of Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists should involve more tutorials, teachings and clinical rotations that would expose them to different aspects of ASD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours, and atypical sensory responses. Despite increasing recognition, comprehensive understanding of ASD is lacking among the public and healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and opinions of Polish society on ASD, identifying the weakest areas to inform future educational initiatives. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2024, involving 1,098 respondents, representative of the Polish population. Three questionnaires were used: an author-designed autism knowledge questionnaire, the Polish Autism Knowledge Questionnaire, and the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW). Socio-demographic data were also collected. 37% of respondents considered ASD rare, 34% had interacted with someone with ASD, and 18% had a family member with ASD. Genetics (26.5%), maternal alcohol use during pregnancy (10%), and vaccines (7%) were cited as causes. The Internet (85%) and social media (28%) were themain sources of information. The mean KCAHW score was 8.6 ± 5.5, indicating moderate ASD knowledge, with women, younger individuals, and those with higher education or personal contact scoring higher (p<0.001). Knowledge about ASD in Poland is moderate yet fragmented, with significant gaps that could impede early diagnosis and intervention. Targeted educational campaigns are needed, focusing on specific gaps, along with increased government support for early diagnosis.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex clinical presentation and rising frequency. When it comes to early detection and intervention, pediatricians are essential. This study evaluated the Awareness Among Pediatricians in South India About Symptoms and Screening of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Methods: Using a semi-structured questionnaire and the Knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) survey, 204 pediatricians from five South Indian states participated in a cross-sectional study. Using SPSS software, awareness was examined across professional experience, training exposure and demographic characteristics. Results: Most participants were under 45 years (52.9%), with female pediatricians constituting 54.4%. High awareness was noted for treatment modalities (91.7%), but misconceptions existed about screening tools 35.3% misclassified tools like M-CHAT and TABC as diagnostic. Those with 11–20 years of experience and those with autism-related training had significantly higher awareness scores. Participants over 60 and those with more than 30 years of practice had significantly lower awareness. Conclusions: There are still significant gaps in screening information, even though overall awareness of ASD therapy was sufficient. Awareness was greatly raised by taking part in autism-specific training, underscoring the necessity of ongoing professional development aimed at managing and identifying ASD.

Introduction: Knowledge about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) among medical professionals is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention. However, studies assessing such knowledge among medical students in Bangladesh arelimited This study aimed to evaluate knowledge about childhood autism among final year MBBS students in Bangladesh. And method: This cross sectional study was among 300 final year MBBS students from seven medical colleges under Dhaka University from July 2014 to July 2015. Data were collected using a semi structured questionnaire that include the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaire. KCAHW assesses knowledge across four domains: social interaction, communication, behavioral patterns, and disorder classification/comorbidities. A composite knowledge score calculated and was expressed as mean deviation. Descriptive statistics were presented using tables.

BackgroundKnowledge and awareness about childhood autism is low among health care workers and the general populace in Nigeria. Poor knowledge about childhood autism among final year medical, nursing and psychology students who would form tomorrow's child health care professionals can compromise early recognition and interventions that are known to improve prognosis in childhood autism. Educational factors that could be influencing knowledge about childhood autism among these future health care professionals are unknown. This study assessed knowledge about childhood autism among final year undergraduate medical, nursing and psychology students in south-eastern Nigeria and determined the factors that could be influencing such knowledge.MethodsOne hundred final year undergraduate students were randomly selected from each of the Departments of Medicine, Nursing Science and Psychology respectively of University of Nigeria, Enugu State, Nigeria making a sample size of three hundred. A socio-demographic questionnaire and knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire were administered to the students.ResultsThe total mean score for the three groups of students on the KCAHW questionnaire was 10.67 ± 3.73 out of a possible total score of 19, with medical, nursing and psychology students having total mean scores of 12.24 ± 3.24, 10.76 ± 3.50 and 9.01 ± 3.76 respectively. The mean scores for the three groups showed statistically significant difference for domain 1 (p = 0.000), domain 3 (p = 0.029), domain 4 (p = 0.000) and total score (p = 0.000), with medical students more likely to recognise symptoms and signs of autism compared to nursing and psychology students. The mean score in domain 2 did not show statistically significant difference among the three groups (p = 0.769). The total score on the KCAHW questionnaire is positively correlated with the number of weeks of posting in psychiatry (r = 0.319, p = 0.000) and the number of weeks of posting in paediatrics (r = 0.372, p = 0.000). The total score is also positively correlated with the number of credit hours of lectures in psychiatry/abnormal psychology (r = 0.324, p = 0.000) and the number of credit hours of lectures in paediatrics (r = 0.372, p = 0.000). The field of study also influenced knowledge about childhood autism (p = 0.000).ConclusionPeculiar situation in this environment as signified by inadequate human resources needed in the area of clinical psychology training often times necessitates employing first degree graduates in psychology into clinical positions. This calls for additional exposure of the undergraduate psychology students to training curriculum aimed at improving their early recognition of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in this environment.

Objective: The aim of this study is to present the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire.Methods: Three hundred fifteen primary health care facility workers and 28 child and adolescent mental health professionals were enrolled in this study. Participants filled out socio-demographic data forms and the KCAHW. Reliability analyses consisted of internal consistency and test–retest reliability. For validity analysis, construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis -CFA) and criterion validity were used.Results: The mean KCAHW questionnaire score was 13.83 ± 2.55. The floor effects in all domains were below 15%, the ceiling effects were over 15% in overall score and in Domain 4. Intraclass correlation coefficient and the Kuder Richardson 21 values were 0.83 and 0.683, respectively; All goodness of fit indices generated by CFA were found satisfactory (Comparative fit index = 0.79; Root mean square error of approximation = 0.056, and chi-square/degree of freedom = 1.91). Being a physician, being a CAMH specialist, having mental health clinic experience, having done a child psychiatry internship, knowing someone diagnosed with autism, follow-up experience of a patient with autism, having previous autism training, and the perception of adequate knowledge about autism, significantly increased the KCAHW scores (p < 0.001).Conclusion: The Turkish version of the KCAHW questionnaire is reliable (in terms of test-retest and internal consistency) and valid (sensitive some known/expected external criteria). Due to the insufficient internal consistency in Domain 4, the scores received from Domain 4 should be evaluated with caution.

Background:Despite the existence of autism spectrum disorder in Ghana, few studies have provided the necessary information on the phenomenon. These studies have mostly focused on speech and language therapy for children and modification of classroom environment for children with autism spectrum disorder. This approach has resulted in a paucity of knowledge on nurse’s knowledge of autism spectrum disorder in Ghana.Objective:The study sought to assess the knowledge of paediatric and psychiatric on autism spectrum disorder.Method:In this study, 130 paediatric and 93 psychiatric nurses sampled from five public hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis participated in the survey. The Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaire was employed to assess their knowledge of autism spectrum disorder.Results:It emerged from the study that psychiatric nurses were more knowledgeable on autism spectrum disorder than paediatric nurses in general and specifically on each of the four domains on the KCAHW questionnaire. However, the level of knowledge on autism spectrum disorder among both groups of nurses remains low. Apart from the previous encounter, there were no significant differences between paediatric and psychiatric nurses’ gender, age, marital status, working experience and their knowledge.Conclusion:In view of the findings, it will be appropriate for autism spectrum disorder to be included in the clinical training curriculum as well as the continuous professional education for both paediatric and psychiatric nurses. This will go a long way in helping paediatric and psychiatric nurses to increase their knowledge of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with serious implications in childhood. There is a significant gap in the identification and provision of health and social services for autism in Africa. The knowledge of autism among health care providers and identifying challenges associated with its management could facilitate bridging the gap and ensuring better outcomes. A self-administered tool, the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaire, was used in assessing knowledge of autism among 175 medical doctors (participants) attending an annual scientific meeting in northwest Nigeria. Other parameters assessed were sociodemographic and professional characteristics of the participants and challenges encountered in the management of autism. Out of 175 questionnaires distributed, 167 (95.4%) were returned. Good knowledge (KCAHW score ≥15) was significantly associated with being a paediatrician or psychiatrist and practicing in a tertiary health facility (P < 0.05), while poor knowledge (KCAHW score <15) was significant among general practitioners (P < 0.05). The highest knowledge gap was associated with onset of autism and its comorbidities (KCAHW Domain 4) while the least was concerning communication impairments (KCAHW Domain 2). Major challenges encountered in autism management were dearth of specialist services, cost of evaluation, and poor caregiver perspectives of autism.

Effectively serving students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) requires professionals to possess specialized knowledge, skills, and understanding. When students with ASDs are from culturally or linguistically diverse (CLD) families, the professionals assessing and providing services to the students need the additional dimension of how cultural and linguistic differences may affect identification, assessment, and treatment strategies.