Evaluation of teachers' knowledge and awareness about autism spectrum disorder.

Background/aim: Teachers play an essential role in the early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated difficulties in children. Increasing teachers' knowledge of ASD can be helpful in identifying these children and making the necessary referrals. This study aimed to assess teachers' knowledge and awareness of ASD and the factors affecting them. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among school counsellors. A total of 171 school counsellors were contacted; school visits were arranged by prior appointment, and the purpose of the study was explained. Data were collected using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers and the autism awareness scale (AAS). Results: Most teachers had heard of the concept of ASD, but the concept of shadow teaching was less familiar. Women and those with lower perceived income levels had statistically significantly higher scores on the ASD awareness scale. Participants who had received ASD-related training or had individuals diagnosed with ASD in their environment had higher ASD scores. Women had statistically significantly higher scores than men in the subdimensions of "causes of autism", "friendship relationships in autism", and "basic elements in the intervention process in autism". Conclusion: This study shows that sex and previous contact with individuals diagnosed with ASD may contribute to intervention processes beyond autism identification. In particular, teachers need to be aware of early identification and referral to intervention programs in schools with pupils diagnosed with ASD. Teachers are likely to come into contact with individuals diagnosed with ASD in a variety of settings. It is, therefore, vital that they have sufficient knowledge and awareness of autism to be able to interact effectively with individuals diagnosed with ASD.