The effect of autism phenotype and diagnosis disclosure on students’ desire for social distance from autistic peers

Authors

Abstract

Autistic students report feeling lonely, rejected by peers which is associated with poorer well-being and lower academic results. This study aims to evaluate the effect of autism phenotype and diagnosis disclosure on students’ desire for social distance from autistic students and factors related to social distancing. 303 students (72.3% women; mean age = 22.37 years) participated in this study. Each participant was assigned to one of the six vignettes depicting students of different gender and diagnostic status. Respondents’ willingness to engage in different social situations, type and quality of prior contact with autism, autism knowledge and social desirability bias were measured. Results showed that students desired greater social distance from autistic males compared to autistic females, as well as from peers with non-disclosed diagnosis compared to those with disclosed diagnosis. Greater autism knowledge was related to less desire for social distance in non-disclosure, disclosure and in male autism phenotype conditions. Higher quality of contact was associated with less desire for social distance from autistic students with disclosed diagnosis. Type of contact was not related to social distance. Findings suggest that autistic male students and individuals with non-disclosed diagnosis might be more vulnerable to social exclusion. Lay abstract Autistic students experience loneliness, rejection from peers, which might negatively affect both their well-being, as well as academic results. Others have studied this topic, however, the existing research does not analyze the desire for social distance from autistic female students in higher education. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the way autism is expressed and disclosing the autism diagnosis had an effect on students’ willingness to interact with autistic male and female students. We also analyzed participants’ knowledge about autism, contact with autistic people in the past and its pleasantness in relation to their willingness to interact with autistic students described in the scenarios of the present study. We found that students were less willing to interact with autistic male students compared to autistic female students, as well as with autistic students whose diagnosis was not disclosed compared to autistic students whose diagnosis was disclosed to the raters. In addition, students who reported more pleasant contact with autistic individuals in the past were more willing to socially interact with autistic students if their diagnosis was disclosed. Students with higher knowledge of autism expressed greater willingness to interact with autistic males and autistic students regardless of diagnosis disclosure. Findings suggest that autistic males and individuals who prefer not to disclose their diagnosis are more vulnerable to social exclusion. More subtle expressions of autism need to be researched further.

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