Knowledge and practice among caregivers having children with autism in Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional study.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a term used to describe a group of conditions characterized by difficulties with social skills, speech, repetitive behaviors, and nonverbal communication. There is no cure for autism, however, early diagnosis and intervention can increase the chance of treatment success. If parents or caregivers do not have sound knowledge about autism, problems can become more complicated. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice among caregivers having children with ASD in Bangladesh.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 68 caregivers of children with ASD in the selected area of Mymensingh city, Bangladesh. The data were collected from May to June 2021 through face-to-face interviews by a semi-structured questionnaire including informed consent, socio-demographics, as well as questions regarding knowledge (12-item) and practice (6-item) towards children with ASD using a purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 25.0).

Results: The mean score of knowledge among caregivers having children with ASD was 7.16 (SD = 2.09) out of 12 (59.67%). The mean score of practice among caregivers having children with ASD was 3.16 (SD = 1.10) out of 6 (52.67%). There were no significant mean differences in the mean knowledge and practice scores among participants' different socio-demographic categories. 95.6% of caregivers have not received any formal training to care for children with ASD, and more than half (57.4%) believed that mixing with good friends would make the necessary change in children with ASD. 97.1% of the children with ASD did not have any health insurance with 72.1% receiving government allowance for ASD.

Conclusions: The findings indicated inadequate knowledge and practice among caregivers of children with ASD. The study suggests an immediate health education program is needed, as well as appropriate practice for children with ASD in Bangladesh.