This article advances an (anti)agenda that would center unknowing as a necessary tool to remake autism. While much of the literature on the social study of ignorance describes its corrosive effects for democracy or how ignorance fuels epistemic injustice, I argue that some harms committed against autistic people have come from well-meaning…

Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the perspectives of 11 job coaches who worked with employees with autism in supported employment programs. Responses were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis, and three top-level themes emerged: (a) facilitating factors and (b) barriers from their experiences working with employees…

Aims: People with a learning disability are at increased risk of becoming homeless, but little is known about how learning disability is viewed by people accessing homeless services. This study aimed to obtain the views of people experiencing homelessness about learning disability, in the context of a project that was exploring how to increase…

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of educators, parents, and individuals on the autism spectrum regarding the qualities of teachers best equipped to support autistic students. Methods: In qualitative interviews parents of autistic adults (n = 35) discussed experiences they and their child faced during the school years, as did young autistic…

Students with mild disabilities are spending the majority of their school day in general education classrooms. However, their academic engagement and outcomes are not always favorable and teachers are often unprepared to present curricula in a way that is engaging and accessible for students at every skill level. A Theory of Academic Engagement…

Teachers play a key role in fostering a positive view of disabilities by facilitating classroom conversations that promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of human differences. However, research has indicated that many teachers are reluctant to talk about disabilities with their students because they are unsure of what to say or fear…

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…

This study examined the validity of the Greek version of the Societal Attitudes Towards Autism (SATA) scale in a Greek community sample (n = 633) and explored how the demographic variables of the sample modulate knowledge and attitudes regarding people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The principal component analysis confirmed the…

This qualitative research study sought to uncover the benefits of an employer-tailored training intervention in addressing employer knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes regarding employing an individual with a visual impairment, with the ultimate goal of identifying a way to positively impact the high unemployment rate amongst this population.…

This piliot study assessed the experiences of police officers related to persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) via a survey assessing prior experience, comfort, knowledge, and ability to identify autistic persons. Fifty-one officers completed the survey: 52.9% reported previous ASD training, 34.8% reported personal experience with ASD, and…

Background: The meanings of neurodevelopmental conditions are socially and culturally defined. We explored how parents of a child with Down syndrome experienced public and professional understandings of Down syndrome. Method: Qualitative interviews with 25 parents of a child with Down syndrome living in Denmark. From a reflexive thematic analysis,…

Research has examined teacher attitudes, knowledge, and stigma towards inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools. Less focus has been given to these beliefs among parents. This is problematic as parents are important in the implementation of inclusion and fostering a positive school environment. The current study examined differences in…

Background: Older people with intellectual disabilities represent a new and neglected population in need of services, yet it may be problematic to include them in generic services without having a clear idea of how elderly people from the general population feel towards them. To the best of our knowledge, this topic has not been addressed…

Background: The present study examines the relationship between stereotypical beliefs about people with intellectual disabilities, desire for social distance, and general knowledge about human sexuality with attitudes towards the sexuality of adults with mild intellectual disabilities. Method: Two hundred fifty participants from staff, family and…

Healthcare professionals play a vital role in identifying and supporting autistic people. This study systematically reviewed empirical research examining healthcare professionals' knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes towards working with autistic people. Thirty-five studies were included. The included studies sampled a range of countries and…