RESUMEN
In studies that assess perceptions of autistic people by non-autistic people, researchers often ask participants to review vignettes depicting fictional autistic characters. However, few studies have investigated whether non-autistic peers accurately identify these hypothetical individuals as being on the autism spectrum. Accurately ascribing autism as a cause of depicted behaviors likely influences perceptions about autistic peers. In this study, 469 college students (Mage = 18.62; 79.3% female) ascribed cause(s) of an autistic peers' behaviors as depicted in a written vignette. We reviewed and categorized open-ended responses into 16 categories. Non-autistic college students primarily attributed an autistic vignette character's behavior to non-autistic origins. The most commonly ascribed causes of behavior were: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (55.4%), inattention symptoms (20.9%), autism (12.8%), generalized anxiety disorder (11.7%), hyperactivity (11.3%), an unspecified diagnosis (10.7%), an environmental influence (9.6), anxiety or insecurity (8.3%), irritability or anger or annoyance (6.0%), social anxiety disorder (5.3%), and learning disorder (5.1%). Additional ascribed causes include other mental health diagnoses; environmental stressors; and cognitive, emotional, behavioral, biological, or personality characteristics/etiologies. Non-autistic young adults may not always recognize their autistic peers as autistic, which may affect acceptance and inclusion. Future anti-stigma interventions should assess the impact of helping non-autistic peers to accurately identify and better understand behaviors associated with autism. Additionally, autism-focused researchers using vignettes should assess participants' awareness of the character as autistic and interpret their findings with this in mind.
RESUMEN
American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children have a high risk for poor health outcomes. Race/ethnicity and functional impairments are linked with health care disparities. While data exist for other race/ethnicity groups, little is known about outcomes for AI/AN children with functional impairments. In this study the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM®) was used to determine differences in outcomes between AI/AN and White children receiving inpatient rehabilitation for functional impairments at one pediatric rehabilitation facility. American Indian/Alaska Native and White children had similar impairment types and functional levels at admission to inpatient rehabilitation. Both groups experienced functional improvement during rehabilitation. At discharge, AI/AN children had lower total functional scores and had less improvement in mobility scores compared with White children, with more impairment in physical mobility at discharge. This is one of the first studies to show a disparity in functional outcomes for AI/AN children compared with White children during inpatient rehabilitation.
