Abstract
This study aims to explore the self-efficacy of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their adulthood, and examine the relationship between ASD traits and demographic variables separately in men and women. Adults with ASD can be categorized into two types: individuals who were diagnosed earlier in life and those who were not diagnosed until adulthood. It is assumed that the experiences and phenotype differ between the two; this study focuses on the latter. Overall, the sample included 82 people (36 men, 46 women) with ASD aged 21–58 (average age: 34.65) and diagnosed at age 18–56 (average age: 30.63). The results suggest that the self-efficacy of the subjects in this study tended to be lower. Furthermore, the relationship between ASD traits and self-efficacy differed between men and women, such that the higher the ASD traits score, the lower the self-efficacy in men (r = -0.45), while this association was not statistically significant in women. In addition, the average score of self-efficacy differed significantly between groups, depending on the employment situation of women and the marital status of men. This study highlights the need to identify factors influencing low self-efficacy of individuals diagnosed with ASD in adulthood in both genders, and offers implications for building a support system for them.
