In the 21st century, cases of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have increased in most of the academic institutions. The increase of students with ASD has triggered a study on students perceptions of their peers with this disorder. The prior objective in the conduction of this research is to examine students attitude on ASD in both optimistic and pessimistic circumstances. In addition, awareness, stigmatization, and statistics on students with ASD will be analyzed in order to come up with a more concrete solution.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirm that in each 42 people of the masculine gender, one has ASD. Also, CDC affirmed that in each 189 people of the feminine gender, one has ASD. It vividly illustrates that ASD is more chronic to the masculine gender, unlike the feminine. CDC stated that in 2013, 7% of the entire U.S population suffers from ASD, unlike in 2010 where it only detected in 5.5% of the population (Anderson, Liang & Lord, 2013). According to statistics, it has been deduced that there has been an increase in the number of students with ASD despite their impropotional chances of securing a quantifiable degree. The key reason for impropotional degree owners is because of the increase in the level of retention by students suffering from (Matthews & Goldbert, 2015). The increase in the level of retention has also been realized due to the pessimistic attitude that ASD students receive from their peers.
College student highly upholds the degree of normalcy in accordance to ones academic and social performance. According to research from medical experts, they affirm that people suffering from ASD have a slow rate in understanding most of the simple things hence it makes them anti-social and have low grades (Hess, Matson & Dixon, 2010). ASD makes a student to be an outcast hence he or she does not receive social acceptance from their mates. The absenteeism of social acceptances from their peers results to stigmatization. According to the study conducted, it was observed that most of the student attitude toward students with ASD was not friendly since they were labeled to be abnormal hence discriminated. The study also affirmed that students who were knowledgeable of ASD and its symptoms had a positive attitude towards students with ASD. On the other hand, typical students who had no idea of what is ASD had a negative attitude toward ASD students hence in most of the instances these typical students neglected ASD students (Matthews & Goldbert, 2015). It hence implies that it is necessary for the public to be educated on ASD so as to reduce the levels of stigmatization.
It was also realized that adolescent student who wants to join colleges are very many, however, the degree of discrimination is very discouraging hence they are demoralized (Hess, Matson & Dixon, 2010). In particular, these adolescent students analyze how their fellow ASD students are treated in college and realize that they are not welcomed. In addition, these adolescent students remember their past academic life and affirm that they are not welcomed in academic institutions due to the high degree of stigmatization from their peers. Students who are limited in joining colleges due to stigmatization have no option other that drop out of academic life and either seek skills to make them productive members of the society.
Acceptance of disability from teachers and students for students with ASD has a great impact on their academic performance and social status. In this case, acceptance involves increasing the rate of interaction between ASD students and their teachers. Increased interaction will result in making these students comfortable and they will be optimistic about their academic performance (Lord et. al, 2013). Teachers will also act as role models that each student should uphold so as to support ASD students socially. The study conducted further appreciated that the increased interaction of teachers with ASD students will result in a brilliant performance in their academic life. Acceptance of ASD student is hence they key in improving their social and educational activities.
According to research most of the ASD students illustrate the following symptoms; epilepsy, dyspraxia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and even generalized anxiety disorder. The students who were initially aware of ASD easily noted down these symptoms and hence concluded that their behaviors were the key reasons for being neglected. In addition, these students also affirmed that lack of attention, noise making and poor answering of questions was mostly associated with children with ASD. The research students, who were not aware of ASD, were not aware of any abnormal misbehavior among these students. Most of them stated that some of the students have a slow thinking capacity when compared to others. It further concludes that awareness goes hand in hand with attitude. A research student aware of ASD had an optimistic attitude toward students with ASD while those research students who are not aware of ASD assumed that the slow thinking capacity could be associated with lack of concentration (Lord et. al, 2013). At the end of the study, I affirm that it was necessary to educate the public on ASD since one cannot blame the other for a mistake he or she was not aware of.
The social media has been the prime digital tool of communication in the current century. Its accomplishments have been appreciated since it has enhanced unity, peace, and awareness amongst members of a nation. Most of the academic institution have access to the internet hence conducting a campaign on ending stigmatization to students with ASD will be one of the most effective ways of supporting these students in realizing their potentials and achieving their dreams (Anderson, Liang & Lord, 2013). In this campaign, one will seek to inform all students of the existence of ASD, its symptoms and its effect on an individual. Creating awareness to students on ASD will make them realize that stigmatization is wrong and they should support their peers with ASD. In this case, ways of supporting them include; involving them in the social discussion, helping them in their academics and also sharing with them resourceful ideas. Negligence of friends and family members is another prior mistake made (Wing, 2016). The introduction of a campaign being run by the social media will provide a platform for changing your mind. It concludes that the introduction of social media is one of the key ways in reducing the levels of stigmatization of ASD students in academic institutions.
Research based on psychiatric symptoms endorsements in adolescent students with ASD was conducted in order to come up with finer demographic statistics on the distribution of this disorder. Descriptive statistics was the key research method that was implemented in order to come up with accurate readings. Descriptive statistics focused on the symptoms of ASD and how their families and friends treated them. The primary variables to be studied were analyzed in accordance with multidimensional attitude scale. It also involved the use of regression analysis during research so as to enhance one's understanding on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Anderson, Liang & Lord, 2013). Regression analysis model also could assist in providing effective attitude on gender balance and ASD. Regression model hence focuses on illustrating the impact of ASD on behaviors and emotions. An uphold of ethics is one of the key features that was upheld so as to ensure that participant could conduct researches in various ethnic backgrounds. In addition, upholding ethics would ensure that there are no racial demographics in academic institutions to be visited. A gender balance in the number of participants was among the prior steps in ensuring the utmost uphold of ethics.
ASD is a disorder that the public should be educated about so as to end stigmatization, especially in academic institutions. The entire human race should know that everyone is equal despite one having a disorder so ethics should be upheld. The study conducted is just a sample of what is happening in most of the academic institutions due to unawareness and undermining the necessity of ethics (Steyn & Couteur, 2016). Its a challenge on what will be the next step in helping students with ASD to succumb stigmatization. In conclusion, being optimistic on a student with ASD is the only way to help fellow students with ASD and also pose an example that the society can follow.
References
Anderson, D. K., Liang, J. W., & Lord, C. (2013). Predicting young adult outcome among more and less cognitively able individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/jcpp. 12178.
Hess, J. A., Matson, J. L., & Dixon, D. R. (2010). Psychiatric symptom endorsements in children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders: a comparison to typically developing children and adolescents. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 22(5), 485-496.
Lord, C., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B. L., & Amaral, D. G. (2013). Autism spectrum disorders. Autism: The Science of Mental Health, 28(2), 217.
Matthews, N. L., Ly, A. R., & Goldberg, W. A. (2015). College students perceptions of peers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(1), 90-99.
Steyn, B., & Le Couteur, A. (2016). Understanding autism spectrum disorders. Current Paediatrics, 13(4), 274-278.
Wing, L. (2016). Autistic spectrum disorders. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 312(7027), 327.
Request Removal
If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the customtermpaperwriting.org website, please click below to request its removal:
