Author(s): Dias-Almeida, Beatriz ; Gonçalves, Patrícia de Oliveira ; Marôco, João ; Almeida, Telma Sousa
Date: 2026
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/13941
Origin: Repositório do Ispa - Instituto Universitário
Subject(s): Autism knowledge assessment; Psychometric validation; Item response theory (IRT); Public awareness of autism; Cross-cultural adaptation
Public understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) influences societal attitudes, healthcare policies, and support systems. However, no validated instrument exists to assess autism knowledge in the Portuguese population. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale – General Population version (ASKSG) for Portugal, ensuring its linguistic, cultural, and psychometric robustness. A sample of 353 Portuguese adults, aged between 18 and 76 years (M=34.24, SD=13.49), completed the scales’ Portuguese adaptation (ASKS-PT) via an online survey. The scale’s psychometric properties were examined using Item Response Theory (2PL model), internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), and test-retest reliability. The ASKS-PT demonstrated strong internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. The 2PL model outperformed the Rasch model, confirming that item difficulty and discrimination effectively differentiated knowledge levels. While participants displayed high accuracy on common misconceptions, gaps persisted in areas such as autism prevalence, genetic risk factors, and diagnostic methods. Participants with prior autism contact scored significantly higher, and women outperformed men, while a family history of mental illness did not predict higher knowledge. The ASKS-PT is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing autism knowledge in Portugal. It offers a valuable tool for researchers, educators, and policymakers to evaluate autism awareness, identify misinformation, and inform public health initiatives
