Perceived versus Actual Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder Laura K. Hansen & Tammy D. Barry The University of Southern Mississippi For chart/graph: correlation among scales, correlation with demographics **Factor analysis Intercorrelations among 6 6 + total Correlation with key demographics—put correlations into syntax INSERT WITH between variables X variables Abstract   Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairment in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors, which manifests within the early developmental period. A 2009 study by Bain, Brown, & Jordan found that teacher candidates were about as likely to endorse controversial treatments as they were to endorse evidence-based treatments. Another study focusing on perceived versus actual knowledge possessed by teachers, school counselors, and paraprofessionals found that individuals perceived themselves as possessing average knowledge regarding ASD but had low actual knowledge regarding diagnosis and treatment (Kashunda et al., 2011). These studies support the notion that there is a general lack of knowledge of different aspects of ASD among school personnel; however, there has been little research regarding the level of awareness concerning ASD among individuals in the general public outside of the academic sphere. The current study examined university undergraduates’ level of knowledge regarding ASD as well as how various factors (e.g., a relationship with an individual with ASD, access to training in ASD) may affect individuals’ knowledge of ASD. Participants completed an 8-item questionnaire evaluating perceived knowledge of ASD; then, participants completed a 25-item knowledge questionnaire where they designated fact-based questions about ASD as True, False, or Don’t Know. Participants were moderately (64%) accurate on average across the scales, when they believed they were knowledgeable enough to answer (M=.64, SD=.15). However, their ratings of perceived knowledge were not significantly correlated with actual knowledge. When examining the impact of other factors on knowledge, there were several interesting correlations. For example, having children was negatively correlated with knowledge of both prognosis, r(50)=-.28, p = .04, and diagnosis, r(45)=-.30, p=.04. It is important to continue such investigations, so that steps can be taken to close the gap between perceived and actual knowledge. Method (continued) Participants A heterogeneous sample of undergraduate students from The University of Southern Mississippi Ages 18 to 58 years (M = 23.98 years; SD = .73) 49 women and 8 men 35 Caucasian , 19 African American, 2 Hispanic, and 1 American Indian Procedures The IRB approved all procedures prior to any data collection. Subjects completed all measures using Qualtrics and received credit for undergraduate psychology courses. Measures All participants completed: Demographic Form - included basic demographics (age, gender, race, etc.) as well as any training or experience with individuals with ASD. ASD Perceptions Survey – contained ten items, each of which was a basic statement about knowledge of ASD (e.g., “I understand how ASD is diagnosed”). Participants designated each statement on a five-point Likert scale from 1-Strongly Disagree to 5-Strongly Agree. ASD Knowledge Survey—contained 25 items, each of which was a statement about ASD. Participants designated each item as True, False, or Don’t Know. Table 1. Correlations Among Variables of Interest **p < .001. *p < .05. a trend, p < . 10. Race Having Children ASD Training Knowledge of diagnosis -- .28* Knowledge of Prognosis .50** .30* Knowledge of symptoms .60** .27a Total Knowledge .36** .33* Discussion The current study examined the correlation between perceived knowledge and actual knowledge, as well as what variables may impact both types of knowledge. These findings have important clinical implications in understanding factors that may impact one’s level of knowledge or perceived knowledge regarding ASD. For example, ASD knowledge was lower for non-white individuals, indicating that these samples may benefit from increased ASD education. It may also help improve training and understanding by identifying areas of low levels of knowledge. It is important to continue investigating knowledge of ASD as the prevalence rates continue to increase. Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairment in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors, which manifests within the early developmental period (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals perceive themselves as having average knowledge of ASD but may have low actual knowledge regarding different aspects of the disorder (Williams, Schroeder, Carvalho, & Cervantes, 2011). Studies support the notion that there is a general lack of knowledge of different aspects of ASD among teachers; however, there has been little research regarding the level of awareness concerning ASD possessed by individuals outside of the educational sphere.(Williams et al., 2011; Bain, Brown, & Jordan, 2009). Results Participants were found to be moderately knowledgeable (64% of the time) across all aspects of ASD. Paired samples t-tests indicated no differences among any knowledge areas. Furthermore, each knowledge area was significantly inter-correlated with the others. Ratings of perceived knowledge were not significantly correlated with actual knowledge r(57) = -.11, p = .45. Having children was positively correlated with knowledge of both prognosis and diagnosis (Table 1). Race (1 = white, 0 = non-white) was positively correlated with knowledge of prognosis and symptoms, as well as total knowledge. ASD training was positively correlated with knowledge of symptoms and total knowledge. References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. Bain, S. K., Brown, K. S., & Jordan, K. R. (2009). Teacher candidates' accuracy of beliefs regarding childhood interventions. The Teacher Educator, 44, 71-89. Williams, K. L., Schroeder, J. L., Carvalho, C., & Cervantes, A. (2011). School personnel knowledge of autism: A pilot survey. The School Psychologist, 65, 7-14.