First Impressions Matter: Exploring Children’s Negative Perceptions of Autistic Children

Many autistic individuals face social challenges that may be due to the negative perceptions of their non-autistic peers. This study investigated school-aged children’s first impressions of autistic and non-autistic children. Thirty-seven children (ages 5-12 years) watched brief videos of autistic and non-autistic children discussing their interests and rated these children’s traits, and their behavioral intentions towards the children. Autistic children were rated as more awkward, aggressive, and less likeable, though the raters’ willingness to interact with the children in the videos was similar for both autistic and non-autistic children. The raters’ negative perceptions of the autistic children were not related to the raters' age, IQ, sex, autistic traits, or social competence. Future work should aim to further investigate what factors influence biases. These findings highlight the need for interventions in school settings to address early perceptions of autism. Educating children about autism can help challenge stereotypes and promote inclusion, ultimately fostering more positive interactions between autistic and non-autistic children.