Perceptions of and Behavior toward University Students with Autism

Abstract This study examined neurotypical university students’ (n = 116) perceptions of and behavior toward student confederates they believed to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or not. Confederates were labeled by membership in an ASD student organization, behavior stereotypical of ASD, both, or neither. Perceptions of the confederate, verbal and non-verbal behavior toward the confederate, and explicit and implicit attitudes toward individuals with autism were measured. Confederates depicting ASD behaviors were perceived more negatively than confederates who depicted neurotypical behaviors. Participants smiled less at confederates who depicted ASD behaviors than those who did not. Explicit attitudes toward autism were not associated with verbal or non-verbal behavior while implicit attitudes predicted some non-verbal behavior but only in specific combinations of labels and behavior.