Bridging Knowledge Gaps Among Parents of Children with Autism: Implications for Empowerment and Inclusive Practice in Malaysia

Families raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Malaysia continue to face uncertainty and limited understanding of effective treatment and developmental outcomes, despite growing access to professional therapies. This cross-sectional study examined parental knowledge of ASD among Malaysian parents whose children were receiving speech, occupational, or behavioural interventions. Parental knowledge was assessed using the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale – General Population version (ASKSG) among 471 parents. Results showed uneven knowledge across domains: symptom recognition was