Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness Level: Ynmo Quiz Results

On the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day—the second of April each year—numerous events and awareness activities are held throughout the month of April. But at Ynmo, we decided to contribute to raising awareness of autism spectrum disorder through a quiz published via various social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn). The quiz included 20 questions on the most important facts and information frequently circulated about autism spectrum disorder. 704 people participated in this quiz, including 346 who work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 104 parents or relatives of children with autism spectrum disorder.

The average score of the quiz results was 75 points, which means that a large proportion of those who participated in the quiz correctly answered 17 out of 20 questions. Among the most frequently correctly answered questions were: vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder (86%), early intervention reduces the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (95%), a large group of individuals with autism spectrum disorder may have co-occurring conditions such as: ADHD, anxiety, and depression (96%), and individuals with autism spectrum disorder can benefit from various services such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy services (96%).

Meanwhile, there was a group of questions that were not answered correctly, including: children born to older parents are at higher risk of autism spectrum disorder (66%), parents who have a child with autism spectrum disorder have a higher probability of having another child with autism spectrum disorder (47%), and warning signs of autism spectrum disorder may appear clearly at two years of age (54%).

Although the results of this quiz showed that some interested individuals, including specialists and families, have good awareness of the key facts and information about autism spectrum disorder, there is still a set of facts that remain unclear to the majority of participants in this quiz. Continuing to provide scientifically referenced information about autism spectrum disorder (through relevant organizations' websites, conferences, and the use of social media) is a strategic matter that helps practitioners and families stay informed about what is new regarding this disorder, about which we continually learn more, thereby assisting them in selecting the most suitable services for this group of children. Of equal importance to autism spectrum disorder awareness is the provision of high-quality and efficient services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, especially in the early stages of life, to empower them and integrate them into society.

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Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.