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Journals / Kıbrıs Türk Psikiyatri ve Psikoloji Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials on Autism: An Invisible Barrier to Information Access

Otizmle İlgili Çevrimiçi Hasta Eğitimi Materyallerinin Okunabilirliği: Bilgiye Erişimde Görünmez Bir Engel

Pınar Algedik(HALİÇ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-9617-6224
Orhan Kocaman(Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Faculty of Medicine , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)0000-0002-7504-5604
Pages
82–90
Publication Date
2026-03-28
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Developing clearer, more accessible, and health-literacy-appropriate materials is essential to improve early diagnosis and intervention outcomes for individuals with autism.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the readability of online patient education materials related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and determine how comprehensible these resources are for parents.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: On January 26, 2025, English-language patient education materials were identified using the Google search engine with the keywords “autism,” “atypical autism,” “Asperger syndrome,” “pervasive developmental disorder,” and “autism spectrum disorder.” According to predefined inclusion criteria, 132 websites were selected and categorized into three groups: Professional Society, Clinical Practice, and General Health Information.
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Conclusion & Impact:Developing clearer, more accessible, and health-literacy-appropriate materials is essential to improve early diagnosis and intervention outcomes for individuals with autism.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu · Okunabilirlik · Hasta Eğitimi Materyalleri

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the readability of online patient education materials related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and determine how comprehensible these resources are for parents. Methods: On January 26, 2025, English-language patient education materials were identified using the Google search engine with the keywords “autism,” “atypical autism,” “Asperger syndrome,” “pervasive developmental disorder,” and “autism spectrum disorder.” According to predefined inclusion criteria, 132 websites were selected and categorized into three groups: Professional Society, Clinical Practice, and General Health Information. Readability was assessed using six standardized metrics: Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Coleman–Liau Index (CLI), and Automated Readability Index (ARI). Results: Of the 132 analyzed materials, 67.4% were from General Health Information sources, 17.4% from Professional Societies, and 15.2% from Clinical Practices. The average FRE score was 30.2 ± 16.2, FKGL was 14.3 ± 3.7, GFI was 17.0 ± 3.8, SMOG was 13.0 ± 2.6, CLI was 15.7 ± 2.4, and ARI was 14.3 ± 4.1. No statistically significant differences were found between the three website categories (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Online patient education materials about autism are written at a significantly higher reading level than what most readers can understand, potentially limiting parents’ access to critical information. Developing clearer, more accessible, and health-literacy-appropriate materials is essential to improve early diagnosis and intervention outcomes for individuals with autism.

Özet

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) ile ilgili çevrimiçi hasta eğitimi materyallerinin okunabilirliğini değerlendirmeyi ve bu kaynakların ebeveynler için ne kadar anlaşılır olduğunu belirlemeyi amaçladı. Yöntem: 26 Ocak 2025’te, Google arama motoru kullanılarak “otizm,” “atipik otizm,” “Asperger sendromu,” “yaygın gelişimsel bozukluk” ve “otizm spektrum bozukluğu” anahtar kelimeleriyle İngilizce hasta eğitimi materyalleri tespit edildi. Önceden belirlenmiş dahil etme kriterlerine göre 132 web sitesi seçildi ve Profesyonel Dernek, Klinik Uygulama ve Genel Sağlık Bilgisi olmak üzere üç gruba ayrıldı. Okunabilirlik, Flesch Okunabilirlik Kolaylığı (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Sınıf Düzeyi (FKGL), Gunning Sis İndeksi (GFI), Gobbledygook Basit Ölçümü (SMOG), Coleman–Liau İndeksi (CLI) ve Otomatik Okunabilirlik İndeksi (ARI) olmak üzere altı standart ölçümle değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Analiz edilen 132 materyalin %67,4’ü Genel Sağlık Bilgisi, %17,4’ü Profesyonel Dernek ve %15,2’si Klinik Uygulama kaynaklarından oluşuyordu. Ortalama FRE skoru 30,2 ± 16,2, FKGL 14,3 ± 3,7, GFI 17,0 ± 3,8, SMOG 13,0 ± 2,6, CLI 15,7 ± 2,4 ve ARI 14,3 ± 4,1 idi. Üç web sitesi kategorisi arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmadı (p > 0,05). Sonuç: Otizmle ilgili çevrimiçi hasta eğitimi materyalleri, çoğu okuyucunun anlayabileceğinden önemli ölçüde daha yüksek bir okuma seviyesinde yazılmıştır ve bu durum ebeveynlerin kritik bilgilere erişimini sınırlayabilir. Daha net, daha erişilebilir ve sağlık okuryazarlığına uygun materyaller geliştirmek, otizmli bireylerde erken tanı ve müdahale sonuçlarını iyileştirmek için gereklidir.

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Cite This Article

Algedik, P., Kocaman, O. (2026). Readability of Online Patient Education Materials on Autism: An Invisible Barrier to Information Access. Kıbrıs Türk Psikiyatri ve Psikoloji Dergisi, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 82–90. https://doi.org/10.35365/ctjpp.26.1.11

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