Parental Attitudes and Awareness of Sustainable Energy Consumption in the Opinion of Young People with Autistic-Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Implications for the Family Budget

Abstract

Energy efficiency through energy saving is a key trend in the modern world. Analyses have been conducted by scientists in different fields on various target groups that influence sustainable energy consumption. The aim of the research presented in this article is to determine the association between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the perception of young people with ASD (13–17 years old). This was a pilot study. The diagnostic-survey method was used, along with The Scale of Parental Attitudes by M. Plopa and an authored survey questionnaire. Deliberate random sampling was applied. A statistical analysis showed a relationship between the acceptance attitude of both parents and the autonomy attitude of one parent—the father—and awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, a critical literature review confirmed the necessity of combining energy awareness and financial awareness, as each aspect, in terms of energy savings, reflects the financial situation of the household and influences the household budget. This is extremely important in the case of vulnerable groups such as households with a person with a disability (e.g., children with ASD). This research is interdisciplinary and covers important scientific fields such as pedagogy, psychology, and economics.

1. Introduction

Although the worldwide energy consumption fell in 2020 by 4% due to the global pandemic, the previous period between the years 2000–2018 was characterized by a growth in energy consumption by an average of 2% per year [1]. One of the most important problems in the contemporary world is not only the increasing energy consumption, but also the unnecessary and excessive energy use. This repeatedly identified problem has resulted in many efforts being undertaken to reduce energy wastage. This is the main reason behind the idea of sustainable energy consumption in our modern developed and sustainable world. Sustainable energy consumption most often means efficient, economical energy consumption and its reasonable usage costs [2].

Crucial players in the saving of energy are households. As is commonly known, the environmental effect of the excessive use of energy is an increase in total greenhouse-gas emissions, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions due to household consumption can account for as much as 70–80% of the total emissions (e.g., in highly urbanized economies) [3,4].

Meanwhile, in terms of energy use, in developed countries, the household or residential sector uses over 20% of the total energy consumption. In the US, the residential sector represented 22.4% of the total energy consumption in 2020 [5]. In EU countries, households represented 26% of the total energy consumption in 2019 [6].

Therefore, energy saving in households is recognized as a very important and significant research subject. Various strategies aimed at achieving energy savings in households have been developed and are still under development. One such strategy involves increasing energy awareness, especially among young people [7]. Awareness about energy consumption manifests itself in the usage of energy-saving devices [8] or the adoption of energy-saving behaviors [9].

To actively save energy and behave in an environmentally friendly way, people need to be aware of this issue and its related problems. From the perspective of households, a very important aspect related to energy saving is the possibility to save money. The financial aspect of energy savings in households is a key motivating factor in proactive energy-saving behavior [10]. This in turn requires both energy awareness as well as financial awareness.

In our research, awareness of sustainable energy consumption comes down to knowledge and awareness of the importance of the problem of energy saving and sources of energy in the household, as well as activities increasing this awareness, such as: discussions on energy saving, disputes about energy consumption, conscious use of energy-saving devices and their optimal use, and the further impact on the environment and the household budget.

The research sample is a group of young people with Autistic-Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the DSM-V classification of autistic disorders, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD-NOS) are included under one unit—Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This article focuses on people with high-functioning autism—mild (subclinical) autism, with a description of the child’s characteristics, e.g., well-developed speech, broad general knowledge, and specific, specialized interests [11]. Households with children with a disability are seen as a vulnerable group with a worse financial situation due to limited income (loss of one parent’s productivity) and increased expenses (costs of therapy) [12,13]. In addition, groups of young people such as the research sample are very important as current and future energy consumers.

The study is pioneering in that there is little research in the literature on the subject of energy-saving awareness among young people. In particular, the literature lacks research conducted among groups of adolescents with certain characteristics, including adolescents with ASD. There is also a lack of research dealing with the problem of the relationship between parental attitudes and the awareness of young people in the field of energy saving and other pro-ecological attitudes.

The aim of the study was to identify the link between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the opinion of young people with ASD.

The remainder of the paper is structured as follows: in the background section we mainly discuss energy-saving awareness and its financial dimension, as well as pro-environmental awareness among children and adolescents influenced by parental attitudes; in the materials and methods section we present research planning, defining the methodology and conducting the research; and in the discussion we debate the results and make a comparison with the existing literature. Then we present the conclusions and implications.

2. Background

Energy Saving Awareness and Its Financial Dimension

Awareness in general means the perception or knowledge of something [14]. Being aware means having knowledge or realizing something; being well informed or interested in something.

Although awareness and knowledge are often used interchangeably in certain contexts, there is a distinct difference between these two concepts. To understand this difference, it is worth remembering that there are significant relationships between them. Financial awareness involves a specific intellectual state in individuals and society that changes over time, and which results from the degree of knowledge, understanding and rational evaluation of facts and events [15]. Therefore, awareness is rather about perceiving, knowing, feeling or being conscious of events, objects, thoughts or emotions, while knowledge is based on facts and information, and is associated with understanding and familiarity with a subject. A person with environmental awareness is defined as someone who is aware of environmental issues and, since he or she views the environment as a matter of personal concern, is willing to look after it and ‘fight’ for it [16].

On the basis of the literature regarding awareness (in different fields), different kinds of awareness in the field of energy usage may be distinguished by, among others: activity awareness, social awareness and knowledge awareness [17].

Activity awareness deals with conscious actions regarding energy use, e.g., aimed at the efficient use of energy. Social awareness regards the things people are conscious of in a social context, including a person’s interest in a topic, e.g., environmental protection, which motivates them to save energy. Social awareness in the field of energy behavior may therefore help people support each other in their energy-saving behavior.

Knowledge awareness in turn refers to the ability of a person to judge knowledge about a given object. Knowledge awareness may also refer to knowledge about someone else’s competencies and skills as well as his or her method of behaving.

Essentially, a person who is aware of the topic of energy use has knowledge about the constitution and properties of energy, and has knowledge about ways to reduce energy consumption. In addition, such a person realizes the importance of energy conservation and is motivated to adopt appropriate energy-saving actions.

In turn, financial awareness related to the awareness of energy use means the ability to use knowledge and skills to effectively manage energy usage, resulting in financial savings. This may include, for example, understanding the impact of energy behavior on the household budget, as well as understanding and judging the possibility of using financial instruments such as savings and loans/credit in equipping the household with energy-saving devices.

To solve the problems of the ineffective use of energy and in particular to have an impact on awareness, a vast number of various efforts/actions in many fields of science have been undertaken. Education is one such field, and covers various broad areas, including energy and finance. At this point, it should be mentioned that the expected effect of education in the considered areas is to enhance the level of energy literacy and financial literacy [18]. In addition, it should be underlined that any literacy (e.g., financial literacy) usually consists of knowledge, skills and awareness [15]. Recently, a concept has emerged that combines energy literacy with financial literacy and its further impact on the household budget [19].

Financial literacy is an economically important factor that affects investment in energy efficiency. A higher level of financial literacy means a higher probability that people will select investments in energy efficiency (e.g., purchasing energy efficient durables) with the lowest lifetime costs [20]. Energy saving through investments in energy efficiency contributes to achieving more competitive, secure, and sustainable energy systems in households. This is an important element in helping households/individuals save money and manage their finances (Personal Financial Management). In 2016, households across the world saved 10 to 30% on their annual energy expenditure due to energy-efficiency gains [21].

This is why awareness of sustainable energy consumption is important for the family budget.

3. Pro-Environmental Awareness among Children and Adolescents and Parental Attitudes

Environmental awareness is a necessary feature of people in the contemporary world, especially those who teach ecology and promote ecological behavior, i.e., teachers in the teacher–student relationship, and parents in the parent–child relationship [9]. In the context of the great energy problem of the contemporary world, environmental awareness is also needed among children as they represent the future generation. The results of previous research have confirmed that contemporary children and adolescents show a medium-to-high level of ecological awareness [22,23]. In the process of forming ecological awareness among children and adolescents that influences their adoption of pro-environmental behavior patterns and lifestyles, a significant role is played by the knowledge acquired during their education in schools, and in peer and family environments. Education increases children’s and adolescents’ environmental awareness and makes them able to relate such issues to human activities. In addition, this awareness increases to a greater degree when the effects of environmental degradation can be felt and seen in daily life [15].

In addition, previous research has highlighted the importance of environmental experiences during childhood (through contact with nature) in the shaping of ecological awareness and the development of pro-environmental attitudes [22]. Considering the role of contact with the natural environment in the development of pro-ecological awareness during childhood, the influence of people who act as inducers/persuaders of the value of environmental commitment, especially parents, should be underlined [24]. A currently developing positive-psychology movement emphasizes the strengths of individual family members (e.g., parents), which facilitates the strengthening of relationships [25].

The literature provides evidence for a relationship between the adoption of patterns of pro-environmental attitudes in adulthood (as the result of formed pro-ecological awareness) and the memory of having frequent childhood experiences of activities related to nature, including recreational activities in natural environments, camping, hiking and other outdoor recreational activities [26,27]. A significant role is also assigned to adults’ (mainly parents) pro-environmental behavior, such as frequent recycling or voting for parties that work to protect the environment [18]. This confirms that the development of ecological awareness in children and adolescents resulting in their current and future pro-ecological behavior (including energy-saving behavior) is affected by people who are part of the child’s daily life, i.e., teachers, peers and mainly parents. The latest research also confirms that the strongest predictor of pro-ecological behavior as the result of pro-ecological awareness in adolescence (i.e., at the age of 18 years) is environmental experiences in nature during childhood (i.e., at the age of 6 years) [28].

The results of previously cited research confirm that the role of parents and their attitudes in shaping their children’s environmental awareness is unquestionable [26,27,28]. However, it should be noted that not all parental attitudes may shape the ecological awareness of children and adolescents to the same degree.

There are various typologies of parental attitudes in the literature. In Poland, two models of parental attitudes have been developed:

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The Maria Ziemska model covers eight parental attitudes that potentially influence the development of the child’s personality: four beneficial ones (acceptance, cooperation, considerate permissiveness and respecting the child’s rights) and four maladaptive ones (avoidance, rejection, overcorrecting and overprotecting) [29].

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The Mieczysław Plopa model covers five attitudes: acceptance/rejection, excessive demands, autonomy, lack of consistency and overprotection [30].

In this study, the Plopa model was used.

As shown by the results of the previously cited studies [26,27,28], shaping the environmental awareness of the child requires parent–child interaction, treating the child as a partner, the parent’s flexibility, cooperation between the parents and the child, and engaging in various activities together. These features are typical of the parental attitudes of acceptance and autonomy [31].

Control over children’s activity also seems to be very helpful in enhancing pro-ecological awareness [32]. This seems to be typical for the attitude of excessive demands, but only in theory. Control over children’s activity resulting in awareness development requires a permissive parental attitude with simultaneous control over and support of children’s activity, especially in the first stage of a child’s life [26]. The excessive-demands parenting model is rigid and authoritarian, based on over-control, demands and obedience, where parents isolate themselves from the child [33].

The attitude of rejection excludes positive parent–child interaction, which eliminates common parent and childhood experiences of activities related to nature. At the same time, the parents have a limited impact on the development of their children’s pro-ecological awareness [34].

Lack of consistency in a parent’s attitude also does not facilitate the development of pro-ecological awareness, as changes in the parent’s behavior towards the child are mainly dictated by changes in the parent’s mood [35].

Finally, through their highly protective behavior, overprotective parents deprive their child of opportunities to develop autonomy and independence, and at the same time to develop awareness, including pro-ecological awareness [31,33].

4. Materials & Methods

The aim of the study was to identify the link between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the opinion of young people with ASD. The purpose of the research is reflected in the research questions:

• What is the awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the opinion of young people with ASD?
• Are the parenting attitudes of mothers and fathers, and if so which attitudes, related to the awareness of sustainable consumption in terms of energy among young people with ASD?
• Are there any predictors of high/low awareness of sustainable energy consumption, and if so, which educational attitudes of the father and mother are important?

Hypotheses were formulated for the research questions:

Hypothesis 1 (H1).

Awareness of sustainable energy consumption among most young people with ASD is low.

Hypothesis 2 (H2).

Accepting and autonomous attitudes of the mother and father are associated with a higher awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD. Attitudes of the mother and father that are rejecting or overly protective are associated with a low awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD.

Hypothesis 3 (H3).

The predictors of higher awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD are the accepting and autonomous attitudes of the mother and father. The predictors of a lower awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD are a rejecting or overly protective attitude of the mother and father.

Test method and sample characteristics:

This was a pilot study, and the diagnostic-survey method was used. The Scale of Parental Attitudes by M. Plopa and an authored survey questionnaire were also used in the research.

The Scale of Parental Attitudes by M. Plopa is a standardized psychological tool. It consists of two versions, each designed to assess the mother’s parental attitudes and the father’s parental attitudes. Each version/sheet contains 50 diagnostic statements grouped into five dimensions corresponding to five parental attitudes: acceptance/rejection, excessively demanding, autonomy, inconsistent and overly protective. The subjects respond to each of the statements on a five-point scale. The reliability and validity of the tool is satisfactory. The reliability reported in Plopa Cronbach’s alpha-normalization test ranges from 0.86 to 0.93 for the dimensions [36].

The scale of awareness of sustainable energy consumption is an authored survey questionnaire for adolescents. The tool consists of two parts. In the first, there are 8 closed questions concerning awareness of sustainable energy consumption. In the second part, there are 5 closed questions concerning motivation to save energy. A Likert estimation and dependence scale (1–5; 1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree) was used for all questions to measure the awareness of sustainable energy consumption. The reliability of Cronbach’s alpha-normalization test ranges from 0.81 to 0.89 for the dimensions. The subject responds to each of the statements on a five-point scale. High scores indicate a positive attitude towards energy saving, while low scores indicate a negative attitude.

The research was conducted in 2021 at the Specialist Outpatient Clinic for Children with Autism in Leżajsk. The research was part of a project on parental awareness and attitudes (behavior) in the field of energy saving in the opinion of adolescents with ASD. Deliberate random sampling was used, i.e., simple, randomized trials with lists of patients with a medical diagnosis of ASD using random number generators.

The study involved 106 persons with Autism-Spectrum Disorder. Respondents were aged from 13 to 17 (85 boys and 21 girls). The research is consistent with the assumptions of social-research methodology. The research used so-called strong, standardized psychological tools, in which the accuracy and reliability of the tool, not the questionnaire, is examined. Therefore, it was possible to study the relationship between the parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption using higher statistical analyses, including correlation analysis. Non-probabilistic selection and deliberate random sampling were used. Such sample selection is permitted by standardized tools (with high validity and reliability) for groups that are difficult to access [37] such as children with ASD, especially during a pandemic. The sample was large despite the hard-to-reach group and the pandemic lockdown.

5. Results

At the beginning of the analysis, it was necessary to recall the results of the first stage of the research, which was the answer to the question: what parental attitudes do the father and mother present and are there significant differences in the perception of adolescents with ASD?

Therefore, to begin we look again at the results of the research on the attitudes of mothers and fathers, and the differences between mothers and fathers in the intensity of parental attitudes (in sten values):

“The most frequently preferred parental attitudes among mothers in the perception of adolescents with ASD are: inconsistent (M = 7.33, SD = 1.04) and overly protective (M = 7.09, SD = 1.11). Similarly, but slightly more often, adolescents with ASD most frequently chose the preferred parental attitudes in fathers to be overly protective (M = 7.24, SD 1.24) and inconsistent (M = 7.11, SD = 1.15). The least frequently preferred parental attitudes among mothers in the perception of adolescents with ASD were: too demanding (M = 2.03, SD = 0.92) and autonomous (M = 2.70, SD = 1.64). Similarly, but less often, adolescents with ASD most frequently chose the preferred parental attitudes of fathers as: autonomous (M = 2.10, SD = 1.41) and too demanding (M = 2.27, SD = 1.23). The differences are not statistically significant” [1].

Table 1. Outcomes of awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD (in sten values).

Energy Awareness Scale	M	SD
Low awareness of energy saving	2.67	1.99
High awareness of energy saving	7.94	1.07

below presents the high and low results relating to awareness of energy saving among young people with ASD.

The raw scores obtained from the questionnaire were converted into sten scores and are presented in Table 1. Generally, the sten scores range from 1 to 10, according to the rules: 1–3 below average; 4 low average; 5–6 average; 7 high average; 8–10 above average.

According to the results presented above and the theoretical assumptions of the tool, low results indicate a low awareness of sustainable energy consumption, while high results indicate a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption. In the research, 69% of respondents are shown to have a low awareness of energy saving, while only 31% of respondents have a high awareness of energy saving.

Below, the relationship between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD is analyzed (see

Table 2. Correlation between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD.

RESULTS ON PARENTAL ATTITUDES SCALE	LOW RESULTS ON Awareness of Sustainable Energy Consumption SCALE—Low Awareness		HIGH RESULTS ON Awareness of Sustainable Energy Consumption SCALE—High Awareness
	MOTHER	FATHER	MOTHER	FATHER
acceptance/rejection	0.10 (0.563)	0.44 (0.067)	0.26 (0.051)	0.32 (0.001)
too demanding	−0.15 (0.302)	0.34 (0.532)	−0.14 (0.331)	0.11 (0.074)
autonomous	−0.04 (0.711)	−0.35 (0.114)	0.32 (0.221)	0.44 (0.006)
inconsistent	−0.04 (0.551)	0.24 (0.715)	0.33 (0.277)	0.18 (0.223)
overly protective	0.08 (0.051)	0.031 (0.191)	044 (0.232)	0.27 (0.441)

). For this purpose, an r-Pearson correlation analysis was performed, and the conditions for the correlation were met (the data interval and distribution were close to normal and were checked using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test).

Some parental attitudes of the mother and father are related to a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD. The autonomy attitude manifested by the father correlates with a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD, with the results indicating the existence of a significant, positive correlation at the level of 0.44 (p 0.006) between the variables. The father’s attitude of acceptance turned out to be significant in creating a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption, with the results indicating the existence of a significant, positive, strong correlation at the level of 0.32 (p 0.001) between the variables. The mother’s attitude of acceptance also turned out to be significant in generating a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption among adolescents with ASD, with the results indicating the existence of a significant, positive correlation at the level of 0.26 (p 0.051) between the variables.

The mother’s overly protective attitude turned out to be significant in low awareness of sustainable energy consumption among adolescents with ASD, as the results indicate the existence of a significant, moderate correlation between the variables at the level of 0.08 (p 0.051).

In order to find an answer to the question of the predictors of high/low awareness of sustainable energy consumption, and which educational attitudes of the father and mother were important, a linear-regression analysis was performed (

Table 3. Linear-regression summary: dependent variable—high awareness of sustainable energy consumption; explanatory variables—parental attitudes of fathers.

Explanatory Variables	B	SE	β	t	p
intercept (estimated by regression)	32.543	5.887		5.519	0.00
Autonomy	0.210	0.105	0.267	2.014	0.05

R = 0.313, R2 = 0.097, R2 = 0.063, F (2.899) = 2.602, p < 0.05.

). In the model, high awareness was selected as the dependent variable, and the explanatory variables were the fathers’ attitudes in the perception of adolescents with ASD. The proposed model turned out to be statistically significant (F (5.131) = 2.899; p < 0.05). Based on the R2 coefficient, it can be said that the father’s autonomy attitude explains a 6.3% increased awareness of sustainable energy consumption, and that the direction of this relationship is positive. Only one attitude, autonomy, best explains the high awareness of sustainable energy consumption in adolescents with ASD (B = 0.210; SE = 0.105; t = 2.014; p < 0.05). If there is an increase in the father’s autonomy attitude by one point on the scale, the awareness of sustainable energy consumption in adolescents with ASD increases by 0.21 points. The dependence between the predictor and the dependent variable is weak and positive (β = 0.267, p = 0.05).

6. Discussion

The research verified the formulated hypotheses (see

Table 4. Results of hypothesis verification.

Hypothesis	Verification	Description
H1	positively confirmed	69% of respondents had a low awareness of energy saving
H2	partially confirmed	An overly protective father is not associated with a low awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD.
H3	partially confirmed	Only an autonomous attitude in the father is associated with higher awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD.

).

H1 was positively verified. Most of the young people with ASD who participated in the survey (69%) represented a low awareness of energy saving.

At this point, it is worth juxtaposing these findings with the findings from the research on children and adolescents without ASD. The research results available in the literature are ambiguous. On the one hand, the research underlines the need to raise awareness of energy saving among young people, which could suggest that it is insufficient. This is evidenced by the numerous programs launched in order to raise pro-ecological awareness, to build the capacity of adolescents in being active in saving energy, and to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in this field [38]. On the other hand, research results have shown that children (as well as their parents) have adequate levels of environmental awareness, and that their beliefs have translated into actual energy-saving habits and practices [39].

The available literature often underlines the role of parents in shaping the pro-environmental attitudes of their children. The results confirm that parents’ pro-environmental behavior influences their children and induces them to adopt energy-saving habits [39].

H2 was partially confirmed. An attitude of autonomy and acceptance manifested by the father, and the mother’s attitude of acceptance correlate with a high awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD. Only the mother’s overly protective attitude turned out to be significant in the low awareness of sustainable energy consumption among adolescents with ASD.

H3 was also partially confirmed. Only an autonomous attitude in the father is associated with a higher awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD.

The findings of the research regarding the relation between parental styles and energy-saving awareness among young people with ASD are related to findings presented in the literature regarding parenting styles and the pro-environmental attitudes (as a result of pro-environmental awareness) of young people as a whole.

The results obtained on the impact of parental attitudes on the awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD are largely consistent with observations regarding the impact of parental attitudes on pro-ecological awareness and attitudes in groups of children and adolescents in general. The parental attitudes of acceptance and autonomy both facilitate the enhancement of the awareness of sustainable energy consumption among adolescents with ASD due to the possibility of saving money [40], which is similar to the pro-environmental behavior of most young people. Generally, adolescents’ motivation to act in pro-environmental ways (as a result of pro-environmental awareness) is rooted in, among others, the parents’ internalized motivation to act pro-environmentally, and the autonomous supporting parenting style [41]. Additionally, an accepting parenting style, in which parents provide children with many positive pro-environmental experiences, often influences pro-ecological attitudes in adolescence and later life [26].

In addition, the research confirms that a particularly important role in shaping the awareness of sustainable consumption among young people with ASD was attributed to fathers. This result is in the line with the wider dimension of the impact of fathers’ acceptance style of parenting on prosocial behavior. It turns out that the father’s involvement, for example, with high school children, is related to a child’s prosocial behavior [42].

It should also be pointed out that enhancing the awareness of children and adolescents with ASD regarding energy behavior or other fields is a great challenge. Autism involves a particular deficit in awareness. This concerns, for example, self-awareness, which is generally associated with well-being and mental health, but also has a substantial impact on day-to-day functioning [43,44].

A previous study found that phonological awareness skills, which are a key factor underlying children’s later reading comprehension, seem to be in deficit among children with ASD [45,46]. This certainly impacts the process of education as a whole (e.g., energy education in combination with financial education), and is a significant barrier to enhancing awareness.

Limitations in enhancing awareness among children with ASD may also relate to awareness of sustainable energy consumption and financial awareness, with the further impact this entails on the family budget.

The innovative aspect of our research is hypothesizing and then proving the varying impact of different parental attitudes on the awareness of energy saving among adolescents with ASD (H2, H3). This is the most important theoretical contribution.

The research results concerning the relationship between certain parental attitudes and pro-ecological awareness among adolescents with ASD also have a practical application and may be taken into account to improve the effectiveness of pro-ecological activities in households, including energy saving (and at the same time saving money).

7. Conclusions

The aim of the study was the recognition of parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption (especially awareness of energy saving) in the opinion of young people with ASD. The aim was achieved by the verification of the hypotheses. In addition, the results of the research in comparison to the published literature results of other research provided preliminary findings suggesting that awareness of energy use among young people with ASD may be lower than among adolescents without ASD.

In line with general trends in energy saving, activities should be undertaken in every possible group of energy recipients that are aimed at increasing energy-saving awareness. Generally, to increase pro-ecological, energy-saving awareness it is necessary to implement more activities, conduct promotion and provide information on how to conserve energy. On the basis of the research and the results of research available in the literature, it should be stated that such activities should be started in early childhood during the period of a child’s education. Developing appropriate habits, e.g., in the field of energy saving, is extremely important and may turn out to be very effective, especially in the case of people with ASD, one feature of whom is repetitive behavior (RB). The research proves that one of the factors that influences environmental awareness among young people, including energy saving, are parental styles. The correlation analysis used in the research showed a relationship between the acceptance attitude of both parents and the autonomy attitude of the father, and the awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with ASD. This pioneering aspect of the research in treating parental style as a determinant of energy-saving awareness, attitudes and behavior should be continued. At the same time, knowledge of the influence of particular parental attitudes on the awareness of children and adolescents in the field of energy saving should be disseminated, as this may have a further influence on energy saving and other pro-ecological attitudes and behavior.

It should also be underlined that to ensure effective energy-saving behavior, energy-saving awareness should be related to motivation, including financial motivation. The financial motivation to adopt energy-saving behavior results increasingly in a combination of energy awareness and financial awareness. Energy-conscious consumers know that improvements in energy efficiency provide an opportunity for reducing the negative effects of energy use on the environment, and for reducing energy costs.

Every aspect related to saving energy has an impact on the financial situation of the household and influences the household budget. The financial benefits of sustainable energy consumption are of particular importance for vulnerable family units exposed to financial problems due, for example, to limited incomes and increased expenses. Considering the importance of energy saving for the household budget from the perspective of awareness of sustainable energy consumption, it must be emphasized that energy awareness and financial awareness are interlinked and are, in a broader dimension, dependent on the coexistence of energy literacy and financial literacy.

The limitations of the research were the research sample, which included only young people with ASD, and the necessity of comparing the results with those from previous research, which has been very limited even in the pro-environmental field. A serious limitation affecting the research was the coronavirus pandemic, which has limited access to a wider group of respondents.

It would be advisable to conduct extended research in which the research sample would include both adolescents with ASD and a control group of adolescents without ASD. Moreover, continuing the assumption that parental attitudes influence the pro-ecological awareness of children, it would be advisable to conduct research in various age groups of children and adolescents. It would also be valuable to carry out longitudinal studies that would allow for observation of the desired changes over time.

The Ethics Committee of the Scientific Research Faculty at the Pedagogical University of Cracow has reviewed and approved the research. Document WP.113-8/18.