Community Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To explore the knowledge of the general community in Saudi Arabia about autism spectrum disorder. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted for the period between June and September 2021 in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire tool. The questionnaire tool was developed based on a literature review. The questionnaire tool consists of 34 items that assess knowledge about autism spectrum disorder in terms of its etiology, autistic patient features, autistic children's abilities and needs, and autistic adults' abilities and needs. The total score for each subscale was used to define the level of knowledge of it. Correct answers were given a score of one, and the total score for each subscale was used to describe the level of knowledge of it. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of good knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (defined as a total score equal or above the mean score of the study participants). RESULTS: ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Knowledge about autism spectrum disorder in Saudi Arabia is moderate. Social media channels and healthcare centers should be used to conduct educational campaigns for parents. The goal of this educational campaign should be to improve parents' ability to recognize the causes of autism.