The Level of Knowledge and Awareness About Autism Spectrum Disorder on 6th Class Students of Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine

Objectives:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental syndrome that is defined by deficits in social reciprocity and communication, and by unusual restricted, repetitive behaviors. ASDs are one of the very common serious diseases. According to data from the American Psychiatric Association in June 2015, one per 68 children is diagnosed with ASD.Materials and Methods:The study is a descriptive study. The population of the research includes the grade 6 students from Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine (n=167). In the study, it was tried to involve the entire population. To determine the survey questions, the diagnostic criteria for DSM-5, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and Knowledge About Childhood Autism Among Health Workers Survey have been benefited from.Results:The study included 127 participants. Of these participants, 23 (18.1%) said they had not heard of ASD. There was no significant difference between men and women in terms of the level of knowledge (p=0.378). Twenty seven participants (21.1%) reported that they participated in the examination or follow-up of patients with ASDs during the internshipin the department of child psychiatry and there was a significant difference in the level of knowledge between the students who participated and did not participate (p