Introduction
The study assesses college students’ ability to correctly identify diagnostic features of autism and differentiate them from other conditions described in the DSM-5, such as ADHD, anxiety, and learning disabilities. It also examines metacognitive awareness, assessing the correlation between the accuracy of responses and participants’ confidence.
Methods
The study involved 283 psychology students from a university in the Midwest who completed the Autism Symptomatology Knowledge Assessment (ASKA). The instrument presents 25 characteristics associated with autism and other conditions, asking participants to identify whether each characteristic could be used to diagnose autism, as well as to rate their confidence in their responses on a scale of 1 to 5. Demographic data and previous experience with autism were also collected, and strict exclusion criteria were applied to ensure data quality.
Results
Participants demonstrated greater accuracy in recognizing features of autism, especially those related to social interaction and communication challenges (mean accuracy = 0.85). However, they had difficulty differentiating features of other conditions, particularly anxiety and ADHD, which were often confused with autism. Metacognitive analysis revealed a positive correlation between accuracy and confidence for features of autism, while for features of other conditions this correlation was absent or inverse, indicating low metacognition regarding the latter.
Discussion
The results highlight that, although students are highly accurate in identifying features of autism, there is a worrying tendency for overlap between autism and other conditions. This confusion can perpetuate stigma and affect important decisions, such as those in educational or workplace settings. The positive relationship between confidence and accuracy for features of autism suggests that knowledge about these features is relatively well established. On the other hand, the low metacognition regarding features of other conditions points to the need for educational interventions aimed at increasing critical awareness of these distinctions.
Conclusion
The study highlights the importance of educational strategies that promote both knowledge about autism and metacognitive skills to differentiate related conditions. This is essential to reduce misdiagnosis and improve social and professional interactions with autistic individuals.
Keywords: autism, metacognition, diagnostic features, neurodevelopmental disorders, ADHD, anxiety, DSM-5.
Reference :
McMahon, CM College students recognize characteristics of autism, but struggle to differentiate between characteristics of autism and other disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06631-9. Accessed on: 27 Jan. 2025.
