Parents’ Beliefs About the Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Relationship to Educational Qualifications
Abstract
The current study aimed to describe parents’ beliefs about the causes of autism spectrum disorder and their relationship to educational qualifications in Jordan. The study sample included 100 parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers developed a study tool consisting of 10 belief statements and verified its validity and reliability. A descriptive survey approach was employed to address the study questions. The results indicated that the overall distribution of beliefs was within the “average” level, with mean values ranging from 2.71 to 3.01. This suggests that most participants’ opinions ranged from moderate agreement to neutrality regarding the various perceived causes of autism. The standard deviations also reflected moderate variation in responses across all belief statements, with an overall mean score of 2.85 (standard deviation = 0.33), indicating that most participants generally held moderate neutral views about the causes of autism. Furthermore, the results revealed statistically significant differences in the means, showing that parents with higher levels of education held significantly more scientifically grounded beliefs compared to those with lower levels of education. The study recommended raising awareness of autism spectrum disorder and its causes, and emphasizing the importance of collaboration between families and specialists.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13894
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