26 research outputs found
Public Stigma of Autism Spectrum Disorder at School: Implicit Attitudes Matter
This study examines the public stigma of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by their school-aged peers, focusing
on both explicit and implicit attitudes. The twofold aims were to provide a broader picture of public stigma and to explore
age-related changes in attitudes. Students completed an explicit measure of the public stigma and an implicit measure of
attitudes after watching a video displaying children with ASD vs. typically developing (TD) children. Both measures showed
more negative perceptions towards children with ASD compared to TD children. However, while explicit attitudes improved
with age, implicit attitudes remained constantly negative. This finding suggests that both explicit and implicit attitudes should
be considered when promoting an inclusive climate at school