Promoting openness to autism amongst dental care professional students.

Researchers taught dental students about autism using training delivered by an autistic person. After the training, 62 dental students showed small but meaningful improvements in their openness toward autism (7.6% increase) and confidence in treating autistic patients (4.9% increase). This type of training may help improve dental care access for autistic people, who often struggle to receive proper dental treatment.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of autism education delivered by a person with autism to 62 dental care professional students (third-year dental students and second-year dental nursing/hygiene students). The intervention aimed to improve students' openness to autism and confidence in treating autistic patients. Results showed statistically significant but modest improvements: 7.6% increase in openness scale scores and 4.9% increase in confidence levels post-training. Baseline openness scores predicted confidence levels.

The research addresses an important healthcare access barrier, as autistic people experience poor oral health and reduced access to dental care due to provider-related barriers including lack of understanding and training reluctance.

Peer-led autism education by autistic individuals may be a promising approach to improve dental care provider attitudes and confidence. However, the modest effect sizes suggest additional or enhanced training methods may be needed to create meaningful clinical practice changes.

Single pre-post study design without control group. Small sample size of 62 students from one institution. Short-term outcomes only measured. Authors acknowledge modest effect sizes and note more research is needed to establish effectiveness.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a lifelong condition affecting communication and social interaction, characterised by repetitive or repeated patterns of behaviour. People with ASD experience poor systemic and oral health. They face reduced access to dental care related to provider barriers associated with lack of understanding of ASD, lack of training and a consequent reluctance to treat people with ASD. The effectiveness of training given by a person with autism to student dental care professionals was evaluated by measuring change in 62 students' openness to autism scale scores and confidence treating a person with autism.

These students included third year dental students and second year dental nursing and hygiene students. This cohort was recruited as part of their curriculum and opted in for inclusion in the study. Data were analysed using SPSS®. An increase in openness scale scores of 7.6% (p < .05) and in confidence of 4.9% (p < .05) between pre- and post-training was observed.

Openness scale score predicted level of confidence at baseline (OR = 0.21 (95% CI = 0.02-0.39)). An educational intervention delivered by a person with autism promoted modest increases in openness towards autism and confidence amongst dental care pre-service professionals. Whilst the results suggest that peer-led dental care professional teaching by people with autism may be beneficial, more research is needed.