Table 1.
Characteristics of participants who identified as autistic or not autistic.
| Autistic | Not autistic | Group comparison | |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 309 | 327 | |
| Age: means (SD) | 36.25 (13.60) | 39.75 (11.96) | p = 0.001∗ |
| RAADS-14 score:1 means (SD) | 29.15 (8.67) | 7.78 (10.03) | p < 0.001∗ |
| Ethnicity: % Caucasian | 87.1 | 85.0 | p = 0.49 |
| % Gender fluid | 7.3 | 1.2 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Female | 62.7 | 84.6 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Nuclear family member of autistic | 55.7 | 57.5 | p = 0.69 |
| % Parent of autistic | 25.9 | 49.5 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Friend of autistic | 49.5 | 26.3 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Teacher of autistic | 19.6 | 10.4 | p = 0.001∗ |
| % Live in USA | 64.8 | 77.6 | p = 0.001∗ |
| % Have high school education or less | 15.8 | 8.1 | p = 0.003ˆ |
| % Have graduate degree or more | 17.2 | 31.4 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Professionals2 | 20.0 | 35.7 | p < 0.001∗ |
| % Technicians2 | 2.3 | 1.9 | p = 0.78 |
| % Unemployed2 | 42.7 | 31.9 | p < 0.001∗ |
∗Indicates that groups were significantly different; p ≤ 0.001; ˆ Indicates a non-significant trend; p ≤ 0.05. 1Ns for this measure were lower as it was administered at the end of the survey so participants who chose not to “be trained” did not complete it: N Autistic = 231, N Not autistic = 252. 2 Open-ended responses to the question: “What is your current job or occupation? If you are not currently employed, please say so” were coded into 11 possible categories (including unemployment) according to the US Job classification guide: http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/eeo1survey/jobclassguide.cfm.