Social acceptance of Turkish middle school and Syrian refugee children towards individuals with autism

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine and comparatively examine the level of social acceptance that Syrian refugee and Turkish middle school students feel towards individuals with autism and to compare that acceptance with that of individuals in other special needs groups.MethodsThe study group consisted of 378 typically developing children who were studying at the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels. Of the participants, 108 were Syrian refugee students and 270 were Turkish students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the participants to determine the level of willingness of the students to be in the same neighborhood, school, class, group or desk with individuals with autism.ResultsAccording to the findings of the study, Turkish participants felt a higher level of social acceptance towards individuals with autism than Syrian refugee participants. On the other hand, both Syrian refugee and Turkish students were found to feel less social acceptance towards individuals with autism compared to groups with other disabilities. The study also revealed that the participants had various prejudices and their perceptions were shaped by misinformation or incomplete information about individuals with autism.ConclusionsEfforts should be made to positively change the attitudes of all students, especially Syrian refugee students, towards the social acceptance of individuals with autism in Turkey.