Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
9-27-2026
First Advisor
Sandy King
Second Advisor
Leigh Swartzendruber
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is often considered a pediatric problem. However, undiagnosed autism among adults causes disproportionate healthcare inequities. Conventional ASD research and clinical training focus on pediatric groups, resulting in underdeveloped adult-oriented care and inadequately prepared providers. The project site reported discrepancies in ASD documentation and lack of knowledge in adult autism. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of targeted educational interventions on provider knowledge, attitude, and practice of adult autism. The Iowa Model guided the translation of evidence into practice, whereas Kotter’s eight-step change model guided implementation. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used among 30 providers in an outpatient mental health clinic. The Knowledge of Autism Questionnaire-UK (KAQ-UK) and Knowledge of Autism Practice (KAP) questionnaires were used to measure provider knowledge, attitudes and practice of autism before the educational sessions and 12 weeks thereafter. The posttest knowledge scores (Mdn = 10.00) as measured by KAP were significantly higher than pretest knowledge scores (Mdn = 9.50) p < .001. Mean attitude scores increased from 3.76 to 4.58 (p < 0.001), whereas mean practice scores increased from 2.73 to 4.42 (p < .001). The posttest knowledge KAQ-UK scores (M = 12.87) were significantly higher than the pretest scores (M = 5.77) (p < .001). The findings led to the conclusion that targeted educational interventions enhanced provider knowledge, attitudes, and practice in adult autism. Therefore, mental healthcare settings should consider integrating this educational component to bridge the gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice of pediatric and adult autism.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Grace, Aganaba Alabi Anike, "Impacting Provider Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Care in Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Targeted Educational Interventions" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 387.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/387
