Perceived Knowledge of Educability and Social Acceptability of Children with Autism among Culturally Diverse Parents in Lagos State

This study therefore assessed the knowledge of, educability, and social acceptability of children with autism among culturally diverse parents in Lagos State, Nigeria. This study employed descriptive survey research design. The sample size was 100 parents whose children with autism purposively selected based on availability and willingness to participate in the study. Autism Awareness Scale (AWS) with reliability coefficient of 0.79 was the instrument used to collect data. Data collected were an alysed using percentage, mean score, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression. The results revealed poor knowledge, negative attitudes towards education and social adaptability of their children with autism. The results further revealed significant relationship between social acceptability and perceived educability of autistic children, joint influence of cultures of the parents, level of education of parents, occupation of the parent s, marital status, gender and age on perceived educability of children with autism. It was recommended that increased effort at campaign and awareness through mass media sensitization and frequent workshop to intimate public of the causes, characteristics and how to deal and relate with people with autism.