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Assessing autism knowledge in portugal: validation of the autism spectrum knowledge scale (ASKS-PT)
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Public understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) influences societal attitudes, healthcare policies, and support
systems. However, no validated instrument exists to assess autism knowledge in the Portuguese population. This study
aimed to adapt and validate the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale – General Population version (ASKSG) for Portugal,
ensuring its linguistic, cultural, and psychometric robustness. A sample of 353 Portuguese adults, aged between 18 and 76
years (M=34.24, SD=13.49), completed the scales’ Portuguese adaptation (ASKS-PT) via an online survey. The scale’s
psychometric properties were examined using Item Response Theory (2PL model), internal consistency (Cronbach’s α),
and test-retest reliability. The ASKS-PT demonstrated strong internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. The 2PL
model outperformed the Rasch model, confirming that item difficulty and discrimination effectively differentiated knowledge levels. While participants displayed high accuracy on common misconceptions, gaps persisted in areas such as autism
prevalence, genetic risk factors, and diagnostic methods. Participants with prior autism contact scored significantly higher,
and women outperformed men, while a family history of mental illness did not predict higher knowledge. The ASKS-PT
is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing autism knowledge in Portugal. It offers a valuable tool for researchers,
educators, and policymakers to evaluate autism awareness, identify misinformation, and inform public health initiatives
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Autism knowledge assessment Psychometric validation Item response theory (IRT) Public awareness of autism Cross-cultural adaptation
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Dias-Almeida, B., de Oliveira Gonçalves, P., Marôco, J. et al.(2026) Assessing autism knowledge in portugal: validation of the autism spectrum knowledge scale (ASKS-PT). Current Psychology 45, 617. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-026-09232-0
Editora
Springer Science and Business Media LLC