Autism Stereotypes Among Psychology Undergraduate Students at Eastern Kentucky University

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability with increasing prevalence rates. There are also various stereotypes surrounding the disorder. These stereotypes can be positive or negative and can lead to stereotype threat. This study created a Likert Scale questionnaire to assess the types of stereotypes, positive or negative, that undergraduate students at Eastern Kentucky University have and also assessed where participants gained most of their knowledge about autism. The questionnaire also had one open-ended question, “what is the first word or phrase you think of when you hear the word autism?” This study also examined where the participants gained most of their knowledge of autism. Results were mixed, with participants agreeing with more positive stereotypes in the Likert Scale portion but giving more answers with negative connotations in the open-ended question