The Illustrated Children’s Book as a Tool for the Acceptance of Children with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms: A Pilot Intervention

The steadily rising prevalence of children diagnosed with autism–estimated at one in 100 according to the World Health Organization (2024)– underscores the imperative for educators to cultivate classrooms in which students become sensitized, develop empathy, and enact positive attitudes and behaviors toward classmates with autism, given that school constitutes the pre-eminent context for children’s encounter, interaction, and co-existence. The present study reports the design, implementation, and evaluation of a pilot awareness-raising program intended to enhance peer acceptance of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through the use of an illustrated children’s book. The program was implemented in a single third-grade primary school classroom (N = 15). Prior to and following implementation, semi-structured individual interviews–based on standardized questionnaires–were conducted to examine students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding ASD. The intervention sought to support typically developing children in (a) increasing their knowledge about ASD and (b) adopting more positive attitudes toward peers with ASD. The book All My Stripes by Rudolph and Royer was used, together with guided discussion and complementary activities (games, crafts, dramatization, and songs). A mixed-method design was implemented, combining qualitative analysis (i.e., thematic analysis with the use of inductive and deductive approach) and quantitative analysis. Findings indicated a marked decrease in children’s ignorance and stereotypes regarding ASD alongside an increase in accurate understanding of ASD and in recognition of strengths in children with ASD. Moreover, children’s intention to form friendships with peers with ASD, to sit at the same desk with them, to play with them during recess, and to support them in incidents of teasing/bullying increased, whereas fear toward them decreased. Notably, gender-related patterns emerged regarding attitudes: girls exhibited greater stability in their positive attitudes, whereas boys demonstrated a larger magnitude of improvement following the intervention. Overall, the pilot program underscored the potential of children’s literature and of an explicitly empathetic pedagogical stance to promote inclusive attitudes in primary school settings