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Scaling Study

Scaling Study
Luis S Lugo Salazar
RES/320
7/14/2013
Christina Liessmann
University of Phoenix

Abstract

Scaling Study

The cases of autism have been increasing in numbers in the past decades up to 78%. In 2000 and
2002, the autism estimate was about 1 in 150 children. Two years later 1 in 125 8-year-olds had
autism. In 2006, the number was 1 in 110, and the newest data -- from 2008 -- suggests 1 in 88
children have autism (Falco, 2012). Back in the 80s, it was very rare to know someone with the
condition. The survey conducted and analyzed in this paper determines the amount of people that
know someone with the spectrum in Rio Abajo, Puerto Rico. It will also provide an idea of how
many people have an autistic person in their family, regardless the degree of the condition. To do
so, a brief questionnaire of eight questions was provided to ten of the neighbors of this small
community.

Scaling Study

Scaling Study
Different members of the community were selected to participate on this survey. The
balance was created by including elders, single mothers, traditional families members,
professionals, and unemployed people. A new National Interview Survey shows that, between
2007 and 2011 2012, the prevalence of parent-reported autistic children between 6- to 17years-old increased from 1.16 percent in 2007 to 2 percent or, from 1 in 88 to 1 in 50 (Murray,
2013). Based on those percentages, it can be assumed that most people know about the condition
and more people than we could think are related one way or another to someone with autism.
Survey Questionnaire
Name (optional): _______________________
Profession:
_Unemployed
_Professional
_Student
_Self employed
*At this point the idea is to identify participants by their name and their role in the community.
Only one out of ten participants did not state his name or profession.
1. I know someone with autism
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
a. If the answer is yes, state your relationship

Scaling Study

_Family
_Friend
_Neighbor
*The first questions purpose is to identify the familiarity of the participants with the autistic
spectrum and how well do they know the person if they do know one. Surprisingly, everyone
answered positively to this question. However, no one had an autistic person in their family but
they had a friend or a friends relative with the condition.
2. I understand the implications (symptoms) of having autism
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
*Eight out of the ten participants stated that they do not understand the symptoms of autism. I
talked to every participant after the survey and most of them only stated that autistic people do
not talk or play with others, but their knowledge was limited to that information.
3. I understand how autistic people see or perceive things differently
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
*This question was designed to determine how much participants know about the way autistic
people process information. The results were as expected; only one participant stated that he
knows about this particularity between autistic people.
4. I can have a conversation with an autistic person
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
a. If the answer is yes, would it be a normal conversation
_Yes
_No

Scaling Study

_Dont know
*Eight participants stated that they cannot have a conversation with an autistic person. One of the
participants is a close neighbor that has a son that plays with mine (autistic), while the second
participant that answered positively to this question is a teacher at a primary school that has a
group of autistic students. The second part of this question was answered in the same way the
main question was. The same two participants stated that it would not be a normal conversation,
the rest answered that they do not know.
5. I can help an autistic person to overcome communication obstacles
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
a. If the answer is yes, states if you think an autistic person would be grateful for our
help
_Yes
_No
_Dont know
*The results for this question were similar to question number four. The same two participants
stated that they could help autistic people with their communication skills. The rest were almost
divided by half between no (the do not think they could help) and dont know (they have no idea
if they can or not). Part A of this question was designed to determine if the participants
understand how well autistic people react to help. Some participants answered yes to this
question, although the answered negative to the main question.
6. I believe autistic people can have productive lives if they are helped by the people in their
communities
_Yes
_No

Scaling Study

_Dont know
*This question was designed to determine how people perceive the idea that autistic people can
have jobs and college degrees (for example). The total of participants stated that autistic people
could have productive lives even with their challenges. Although some of them had answered
negative to other questions.
7. I could help an autistic person by:
*This was another question that was answered the same way by all participants. In different
ways; they all knew that behaving normally, an autistic person would learn to do as they see. All
the participants knew that as long as an autistic person is interested on what they are seeing, they
would pay attention and try to understand, because they are all related to the topic due to their
relationship with my son.

8. An autistic person would show progress in their communication abilities by:


*This question would show if the participants understand how progress can be identified in an
autistic person. The answers were varied but all showed the same principles. Most of the
participants that did not have any other experience than that experience of being my neighbors,
answered that more talking and more eye contact.

Scaling Study

Conclusion
The results of the survey showed that most people in this community do not have enough
information to understand what autism is and how to live with it or help the ones with the
condition. The research is reliable because the questions were all aligned to the topic. It is also
valid because the target was the people of the community in general. These results showed that
few people knew about this condition until we moved to this neighborhood. What this research is
demonstrating is that the government agencies should educate the people about this condition as
they did with aids patients or sleepwalkers. Since we were children we all knew about
sleepwalking and the fact that they cannot be awaken or how aids is not contagious in any other
way than sexually or through blood. People should understand how autism really affects people
and how they all can help patients to live a more productive life.

Scaling Study

References
Falco, M. (2012). CDC: U.S. kids with autism up 78% in past decade. Retrieved on 7/14/2013
from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/29/health/autism
Murray, P. (2013). Autism Rate Rises To 1 In 50 Children Cause Still A Mystery. Retrieved on
7/14/2013 from http://singularityhub.com/2013/04/08/autism-rate-rises-to-1-in-50-childrencause-still-a-mystery/

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