The effect of diagnostic labels on teachers' perceptions of behaviours of students with autism spectrum disorder

Background In Singapore, despite the availability of specialized services and resources in mainstream schools for students with special educational needs, parents can still be hesitant to disclose their child's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for fear of stigma or negative attitudes from teachers and peers. Aim This study aims to understand how diagnostic labels affect teachers' perceptions of behaviours in students with ASD in mainstream primary schools, particularly behaviours which are difficult for educators to manage in the classroom setting. Based on research suggesting that a diagnostic label can provide an alternative explanation for atypical behaviours and reduce negative impressions, we hypothesize that teachers would perceive these behaviours of children with ASD less negatively as compared to children without any diagnostic labels. Sample The sample consisted of 120 mainstream primary school teachers who reported a mean of 9.97 years (SD = 7.96) of teaching experience. Majority of participants (65%) indicated that they had direct experience of teaching students with ASD in mainstream schools (mean years = 3.58, SD = 4.77). Method Participants read a total of 20 vignettes depicting a range of behaviours typically observed in primary school-aged students with ASD. Participants were asked to rate the featured student's behaviour on a 5-point Likert scale (i.e., 1 = strongly negative, 2 = negative, 3 = neutral, 4 = positive, and 5 = strongly positive). The survey vignettes were presented in a randomized order, and participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (awareness of diagnostic label) or the control group (non-awareness of label). Results Results indicated that the experimental group rated the behaviours less negatively than the control group. Qualitative feedback from participants also indicated that knowledge of the diagnostic label helped them to perceive the behaviours more positively. Conclusion Findings from this study have implications for parents regarding diagnosis disclosure and may serve as an encouragement to parents to consider disclosing their child's ASD diagnosis to the school.