An Exploratory Study of Attitudes toward Autism Amongst Church-Going Christians

What is it about?

Access to church communities can be difficult for autistic peo- ple. Whilst specific autism guidelines are available for churches to follow, their dissemination among church communities, as well as churchgoers’ attitudes towards autism is unknown. Semi-structured interviews were used with twenty-one adult church-goers from four Protestant churches in England, UK. Using a grounded theory approach to analyze the data, three themes were identified: “different understandings of autism”, “degrees of ableism” and “idiosyncratic practice.” We found positive and pejorative attitudes; this mix of perspectives reflecting the idiosyncratic practice among churches. Recommendations for further research and church practice are provided.

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Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is important as the first UK based study to explore church-goers' attitudes towards autistic people and autism. It uncovers mixed attitudes and how attitudes can vary per the knowledge individuals may have.