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Riley Gossag

WRD 112-00

September 28, 202

Dr. Soto Veg

Autism Awareness on College Campuse

As a student at the University of Kentucky, we are exposed to a myriad of cultures, back-

grounds, and communities. One community that is often overlooked and underrepresented in-

clude those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). An article written by Leigh Ann Tip-

ton and Jan Blacher titled “!Autism Awareness: Views from a Campus Community,” discusses a

study regarding autism awareness on college campuses. The article begins by summarizing the

aim of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, a bill which, “regulated and encouraged

individuals with intellectual disabilities to attend college”(Tipton, Blacher). The goal of the act

was to get students with ASD more involved on campus, which in turn increases the likelihood

of future nancial and employment stability.

According to the article the purpose of the study was to, “understand the extent of autism

awareness and knowledge… of a diverse college community”(L.A Tipton, J Blacher). A large

southwestern Division 1 university was chosen as the population for this study, and a survey was

sent out to each student and staff. 1,057 surveys were collected, and it showed extremely inter-

esting results. The survey sent out included 14 statements regarding ASD, and participants were

asked to rank each statement with how much they agreed with the validity of that statement. The
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rankings ranged from 0-4 with 0 being de nitely disagree and 4 being de nitely agree. Each

statement had a ‘correct response,’ and percentages of correct, incorrect, and neutral answers

were calculated. Figure 1 below shows the results of the study.

Figure 1

Perhaps the most interesting nding to me was the percentage of people who believed

that autism is something that can be outgrown, and that vaccines are causing the increase in

autism. According to the study, 15.9% of participants agreed with the former, and 12.7% agreed

with the latter. This is a concerning nding because these thoughts can be dangerous to both the

autistic population and the neurotypical. Unvaccinated children can contract and spread easily

preventable diseases like the mumps and measles. The idea that autism is a disorder that can be

outgrown perpetuates stereotypes which infantilize those on the spectrum, as well as invalidates

the disorder. Clearly, there is work to be done with educating the general population on autism
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But why is autism awareness important? According to Tipton and Blacher, “it is no longer

a question of whether the average person will encounter someone on the autism spectrum, but

rather a question of when”(Tipton, Blacher.) Therefore, increasing autism awareness and educa-

tion on college campuses is imperative to furthering an inclusive environment. "

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Works Cite

Tipton, Leigh Ann, and Jan Blacher. Brief Report: Autism Awareness: Views from a Campus
Community. 2014, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251569477_Brief_Re-
port_Autism_Awareness_Views_from_a_Campus_Community.
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