Knowledge with kindness is power! Knowledge about autism and kindness relate to better attitude towards persons with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Prior studies have shown inconclusive evidence on how knowledge predicts attitude towards individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in diverse cultural contexts. There is also dearth of research on psychological resources that facilitate inclusive attitude towards students with ASD. This study examines the links of kindness and knowledge about autism to attitude towards ASD among Filipino high school students. An online survey with items measuring kindness and knowledge about autism as well as a vignette-based measure of attitude towards ASD was administered to participants. Results showed that knowledge about autism and kindness positively predicted attitude towards ASD when controlling for age, gender, and previous contact with students with ASD. This research suggests that integrating ASD awareness with kindness education can bolster positive attitude towards persons with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Keywords:

• Filipino students
• kindness
• inclusive attitude
• knowledge about autism
• special education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partly funded by the Additional Research Fund granted to the author by The Education University of Hong Kong.