Developing an information pack for the Asian carers of people with autism spectrum disorders

An investigation is described which forms the basis for the development of an information package for the Asian carers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and learning disabilities. The results of semi-structured i nterviews and planning for questionnaires with three different linguistic A sian groups (Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali) are presented. The views, attitude s and awareness of autism, knowledge of support sen ices and perceived prio rity of needs are analysed for the three different communities. The investi gation concludes with recommendations as to whether separate information is needed by each culture or whether a single information pack can be used an d presented in each language format. The possible presentation format in wh ich the information can be produced is also discussed.