Autistic traits among college students and its impact on academic performance at a government university in Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychiatric, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

2 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

Abstract

Background
Autism spectrum disorder sufferers are now thought to be at the extreme end of a continuum of autistic-related social, communicative, and behavioral traits that have been found to be more pronounced, even though they fall below the clinical threshold, in their relatives and to be normally distributed in the general population.
Aim
The study aimed to detect autistic traits among different college students as well as its relation to their academic performance, which will be reflected on their achievement in case of proper and early management
Patients and Methods
A total of 4000 students from practical and theoretical faculties were assessed using the autism spectrum quotient questionnaire.
Results
There is statistically significant difference in the degree of autistic traits as regards the type of college. Practical students represent the majority of sample in group A [group with low total autistic spectrum quotient (AQ) score], while theoretical students scored the majority of the sample in groups B (groups with a high total AQ score).There is also statistically significant difference in the degree of autistic traits as regards academic achievement. Approximately 65.4% of students of group A (low AQ score) scored excellent, while 41.2% of students in group B (high AQ score) scored excellent.
Conclusions
Autistic traits are distributed among the general college students in various degrees and are higher in theoretical students than practical students. Female sex was found to be significantly related to low AQ scores.

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