Psychopathology, Families, and Culture: Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are now considered to be the most common of the developmental disorders, although the effect of cultural influences on the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs has received limited attention. The existing literature on this topic suggests that both macrolevel and microlevel cultural factors can affect the characterization, diagnosis, and treatment of ASDs. As a result, it is important for clinicians to consider cultural factors throughout the diagnostic, treatment planning, and intervention implementation processes. In this article, cultural influences on the prevalence of autism and the diagnostic and treatment processes are reviewed and synthesized through a consideration of the developmental context and through clinical practice suggestions.