From June 8 to 22, 2021, the ‘Child with Future’ Foundation conducted an anonymous survey of almost 10,000 audiences related to autism problems: parents of autistic children and their relatives, specialists working with special children, teachers, tutors, representatives of the IRC, NGOs and government agencies. The purpose of the survey was to study the situation with autism – improvement or deterioration, as well as to identify issues, topics and problems that concern the audience the most, and knowledge that is lacking.
The results of the survey showed that the qualitative and quantitative lack of knowledge is the same for all regions of our country – in Kyiv and large cities, as well as in small towns and villages. Families and professionals are in dire need of resources and applied knowledge to work with special children.
The survey also showed a new trend – an increased interest in questions and information about adolescent and adult autism. If a few years ago parents and professionals needed more information about autistic children aged up to 1-3 years old, now the interest is in the disorder of older children. This is due to the fact that the information space is quite rich in autism in preschool children, but there is very little applied information and resources on working with autistic adolescents and adults with ASD. And if in large cities the need for such information is not so acute due to at least a minimum representation of resources, then in small towns and villages there is still a shortage of both early and adulthood.
The survey confirmed the constant trend of reluctance and fear of parents of autistic children to tell the general public about their problems with children and ways to overcome them.
