Disclosing an autism diagnosis is associated with reduced stigmatization for autistic
adults. However, it is unknown whether this is true for autistic adolescents. We used a
vignette-and-questionnaire design to study stigmatizing attitudes with adolescents (aged 11-
12 and 14-16 years, total N=250) in a UK school. We investigated ...
Disclosing an autism diagnosis is associated with reduced stigmatization for autistic
adults. However, it is unknown whether this is true for autistic adolescents. We used a
vignette-and-questionnaire design to study stigmatizing attitudes with adolescents (aged 11-
12 and 14-16 years, total N=250) in a UK school. We investigated the effect of disclosing
that a fictional adolescent was autistic on stigmatizing attitudes of peers by testing the effect
of disclosure on the social and emotional distance pupils wanted to maintain from the autistic
adolescent and their assessment of the adolescent’s responsibility for their own behaviour.
Moderation of effects by gender and age-group were analysed. Disclosing autism made no
improvement to the social and emotional distance peers wanted to maintain from the autistic
adolescent, but was associated with significant reduction in personal responsibility attributed
to the adolescent’s behaviour. Boys attributed more personal responsibility to the autistic
adolescent than girls, but this gender effect was reduced when autism was disclosed. These
findings suggest that disclosing autism to other pupils may be of limited use in reducing
stigmatization by peers in UK schools.
