Comparing autism-related abilities and symptom severity across educational settings: a study of Turkish and English schools.

ORCID

Abstract

Although symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are thought to be universal and assessment tools are used globally, interpretations related to ASD may differ in different countries and cultures. This research focused on the socio-communication skills and ASD severity of students with ASD in Türkiye and the UK. This study is a mixed methods exploratory study including qualitative and quantitative research methods. In this study, 59 Turkish and 67 English children with similar reported ASD severity took part. The data were collected through observation of the children and informal discussion during five different tasks associated with socio-communicative skills over six weeks. English pupils were found to perform better on the tasks than Turkish pupils. Differences in relation to ASD severity were also found in these two contexts. Conclusions include the possibility that severity levels defined by DSM-5 are interpreted and used differently in the two countries. Cultural influences on task performance are considered and more research is called for to explore ASD severity and diagnosis in different contexts.

Publication Date

2025-11-23

Publication Title

International Journal of Inclusive Education

ISSN

1360-3116

Acceptance Date

2025-11-12

Deposit Date

2026-02-16

Embargo Period

2027-05-23

First Page

1

Last Page

1

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This item is under embargo until 23 May 2027

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