1 in 5 autistic Kiwis, and 1 in 6 autistic Aussies feel that society accepts them as an autistic person

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-03-21 05:00

Australia; New Zealand; International

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For the first time ever, researchers surveyed more than 300 autistic adults from eight countries, including NZ and Australia, to study cross-cultural differences in autism-related stigma. They found differences in levels of autism acceptance, camouflaging (i.e., the act of trying to minimise the visibility of their autism in social situations), and mental health difficulties across countries. Almost one in five Kiwis surveyed said that yes, society generally accepts them as an autistic person, while almost 50% said they felt that way sometimes. Fifteen percent of Australians surveyed said that, yes, society generally accepts them as an autistic person, while 55% said they felt that way sometimes. The authors write that these findings can help identify priority regions for anti-stigma interventions and highlight countries where greater mental health support is needed.