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CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Child Science 2020; 10(01): e246-e257
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721514
Original Article

Increasing the Awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder with Training of Pre-School Teachers and School Counselors in Turkey

Halil Kara 
1   Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Institute, Aksaray University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Aksaray, Turkey
,
Mehmet Semih Demirtaş 
2   Faculty Pediatrist, Faculty of Medicine, Aksaray University Medical, Aksaray, Turkey
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Abstract

Training programs for the awareness of autism for professions are supported under the leadership of the United Nations. Misinformation can cause socially destructive results as that which is incorrect is assumed to be known correctly. This study included a total of 308 participants comprising 226 (73.4%) preschool teachers and 82 (26.6%) school counselors. The basic questions related to the awareness and knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were selected based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). It was attempted to categorize the questions into four fields: (1) social interaction, (2) social communication and speech, (3) limited interest pattern with stereotypical and ritualistic behaviors, and (4) comorbidities, etiological characteristics, and the relationship between vaccinations and autism. The results of the study indicate that the awareness of ASD, including core symptoms, was extremely lacking in preschool teachers and school counselors. Moreover, they had extreme prejudice to information known to be incorrect.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorder - teacher training program - vaccines - thimerosal substance


Publication History

Received: 06 September 2020

Accepted: 29 October 2020

Article published online:
04 January 2021

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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