There is growing traction regarding the valuable effects of kindness on well-being and positive interpersonal functioning. However, existing literature has paid little attention to the association of kindness with discriminatory attitudes toward people with special educational needs (SEN). This research examined the link of kindness to stigma…

A growing literature suggests that there is cross-cultural variation in levels of autism-related stigma, which may partially be explained by differences in cultural orientation or autism-related knowledge between countries. This literature has relied heavily on self-report measures of explicit attitudes towards autism; little research has examined…

Attitudes toward people with disabilities greatly influence the lives of people with disabilities, especially during childhood. Negative attitudes toward children with disabilities are considered a barrier to the social participation of children with impairment in academics, organized sports, and social events. However, positive attitudes will…

Although providing equal educational opportunity for all children is the common goal for inclusive education around the world, the way of implementation is influenced by cultural, historical, and socioeconomic factors of each country. This study aims to compare Saudi and Japanese teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive education. Data…

Background: Explaining individual differences in people's attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disability (ID) is important for increasing social inclusion of people with ID. The aim of the current study was to replicate and extend past research by formulating a single model of attitudes toward individuals with ID with several…

According to Contact Theory, direct experience between people with and without disabilities seems to be the basis for building and changing beliefs and, therefore, behaviours. The present study enquires into Educational Science university students' attitudes towards people with disabilities analysing the differences that occur on the basis of the…

Prior research has studied preferences for identity- or person-first language among persons with an autism diagnosis. The current study differs from this previous body of research by specifically examining quantitative predictors of language preferences through a social identity theoretical approach, thereby leading to a better understanding of…

This study investigated 128 post-secondary educators' attitudes toward disability at a college and a university in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The participants completed the Educators' Attitudes toward Disability Scale (EADS) and a demographic questionnaire that included questions about their experiences with disability. There were three…

Finding new ways of supporting the well-being of autistic adults is an essential goal for research and practice. We tested the predictive value of attitudes towards autism (as neurodiversity or as a disorder) and identification with other autistic people, on the psychological distress and self-esteem of autistic adults (n = 109). Adopting a…

Social change towards inclusion is a very common topic, but progress is slow. Because of its importance in the current educational context, knowing how to speed up this transformation is fundamental. A multiple regression analysis with a transversal quantitative designed survey (n = 245) was conducted. The aim was to identify internal and external…

This cross-cultural study examined Koreans' and Americans' explicit stigma and implicit biases toward autism to examine potential mechanisms underlying recent evidence for heightened explicit autism stigma in South Korea relative to the United States. This evidence is somewhat at odds with other evidence that individuals living in collectivistic…

This study examined the relationship between acceptance of disability, perceived stigma of students on a college campus and adaptation to college for students with disabilities. One hundred forty-five surveys were collected from student participants via the disability support services offices at sixteen colleges or universities in the northeast…

Background: Positive attitudes toward people with intellectual disability (PWID) are essential for full social inclusion. Two variables that may shape public attitudes toward PWID are "knowledge of intellectual disability" and "quality of contact" with individuals who have disabilities. Method: Participants were 455…

The determination of people with disabilities to enroll in postsecondary education did not remove the struggles and challenges of adjusting to the college environment despite the provisions of the legislation. Students with disabilities still had problems with degree completion, graduation rates, barriers caused primarily by their unwillingness to…

Studies have consistently shown that character strengths predict well-being and positive psychological outcomes. However, there is sparse research on how these strengths relate to stigma towards individuals with special educational needs (SEN). This study addresses this gap through exploring the link of using humanity-oriented strengths (i.e.,…