Abstract
The political drive for inclusion means there are increasing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) being educated alongside their neurotypical peers. Pervasive victimisation has prompted the development of peer interventions targeting stigma. This study evaluated the ‘Understanding Our Peers with Pablo’ programme for effects on knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of infant schoolchildren (N = 222) towards autistic peers. Classes were randomly assigned to an intervention or waitlist control condition. Change over time in knowledge of autism and attitudes and behavioural intentions towards familiar and unfamiliar peers was analysed using mixed analyses of variance. The intervention condition showed gains in knowledge and increased positive attitudes towards unfamiliar autistic peers (maintained over three-months). There were significant improvements in attitudes towards familiar autistic peers, and time-limited decreases in behavioural intentions across both conditions. Overall, results support the use of this programme in early-years education.
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Notes
The authors acknowledge the current debate in the literature regarding the language of describing individuals who meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder and how language may accentuate stigma (see for example Gernsbacher 2017; Kenny et al. 2016; Robison 2019). This paper alternates between the use of person-first (e.g. person with autism) and identity-first (e.g. autistic person) language for those with and without autism, and between the terms autism, autism spectrum, and autism spectrum disorder.
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Author Contributions
MKB developed the ‘Understanding Our Peers’ programme. GO conceIved the idea of combining the programme with ‘Pablo’ episodes. SM carried out the experiment and wrote the manuscript with support from GO and MKB.
Funding
The author(s) disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Sonia Morris is a Psychologist in Clinical Training whose current research (and clinical work) is funded by the Health Service Executive, Ireland.
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Dr. Sonia Morris is receiving funding from Ireland’s Health Service Executive in the form of contribution towards her university fees and a psychologist in clinical training salary. Dr. Mitchell K. Byrne and Dr. Gary O’Reilly declare no conflicts of interest.
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Ethical approval was granted by the humanities ethics committee of University College Dublin (approval reference number HS-18-45-Morris-OReilly).
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All those methods and procedures outlined in this study which involved human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of University College Dublin ethics committee (approval reference number HS-18-45-Morris-OReilly), and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Appendix
Appendix
Example of an ASD Vignette
This is Daniel. He is the same age as you. He lives in Dublin with his family. Daniel and his family like to go to the to the cinema to watch films. He loves playing in the playground. Daniel’s favourite place to eat is Eddie Rockets. Daniel has just started a new school which is just like yours. Daniel really likes watching Thomas the Tank Engine and knows about all the characters and their adventures. He can get very upset if other children want to talk about something else. He can cry, and shout and walk away. When something exciting happens at school, some children smile and talk to their friends about how happy they are. Daniel sometimes flaps his arms up and down like a bird when he is excited about something. Daniel hates the smell of fish and will suddenly move seats at lunch if the child beside him is eating tuna even if other children do not think the smell is too bad. Daniel likes talking to other children his age. Sometimes when he is talking to other children he will copy what they have just said.
Example of a Non-ASD Vignette
This is James. He is the same age as you. He lives in Dublin with his family. James and his family like to go to the city farm to see the animals. He loves going out on his bike for a cycle. James’s favourite place to eat is TGI Fridays. James has just started a new school which is just like yours. James really likes karate and is part of a Karate club. He practices his karate at the weekends and before school on Mondays. Sometimes he is late for school because of his karate class. When something exciting happens at school, some children smile and talk to their friends about how happy they are. James smiles and laughs when he is excited about something. Last week at lunchtime James was drinking a drink of water. He spilled his drink on his school uniform which got all wet. James likes talking to other children his age. Sometimes when James is reading he can make a mistake.
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Morris, S., O’Reilly, G. & Byrne, M.K. Understanding Our Peers with Pablo: Exploring the Merit of an Autism Spectrum Disorder De-stigmatisation Programme Targeting Peers in Irish Early Education Mainstream Settings. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 4385–4400 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04464-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04464-w