SOCIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF AUTISM (Essay Sample)

Sociological and cultural aspects of autism [Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees] [Institutional Affiliation(s)] Introduction Autism is a mental condition that is characterized by impaired communication skills, social interaction, repetitive and restricted behavior and great difficulty in forming relationships with other people. This neurodevelopmental disorder appears to have its roots during brain development in the early childhood but the signs and symptoms of the autism appear when a child is two to three years old. Literature studies show that the occurrence of autism was rare case scenario once however with the passage of time the number of cases reported have gradually increased over the years. Investigating and exploring the cultural and social aspects of autism gives a detailed insight into the complicated definition of autism. The behaviors and characteristics of autism make a distinct pattern which is greatly influenced by cultural identity. Learning and identifying the culture of autism can significantly affect the treatment approaches and will aid in improving autism community. Previous research has demonstrated that having a kid with an inability, for example, ASD presents a special arrangement of challenges that influences the whole family and individual members' safety, health and life experiences. These stressors incorporate difficulties exploring the bunch of instructive, medicinal and behavioral administrations, financial problems regarding the health expenses of the child and the sensitive facets of having a kid with an inability. The core concerns connected with an ASD are impedance in social cooperation and correspondence, and also the presence of unordinary practices and comforts (McArdle, 2012). Boys are four times more prone to develop ASD as compared to girls. It can occur in people belonging from all sorts of socioeconomic status, races and ethnicities without any distinction. Many other medical conditions such as epilepsy, sensory integration disorder (SDI), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability (ID) can co-happen with autism. Autism is analyzed behaviorally by noticing the extent of child’s socialization, way of communication and limitations in scope of hobbies and interests. The study of the cultural and sociological effects of autism is important to comprehend the complexity, monetary expenses, and the significance of timely intervention of ASD. The understanding of these aspects would help us deal with the impacts that autism has on the children, their families and society as a whole. Moreover it would help us present better and cost effective treatment alternatives. Cultural Aspects Culture is a nation’s heritage. It outlines our perspective and offers us some assistance with making sense out of what we know. It is the set of objectives, principles, and state of mind shared by a group of individuals. Different nations having varying cultural values. This is one main reason why in some culture frames autism is viewed more like a character than a handicap or restorative condition. For instance in those cultures the signs of autism are observed as attributes that do not need redressing; they are simply one more method for relating and taking a gander at the world diversely. Accordingly, it would be an oversight to expect that what might work here in one society will work in another society (Ravindran & Myers, 2012). The ways in which autism is viewed in some regional cultures are discussed below: Autism is the rapidly increasing developmental inability in North America and It is evaluated that 1% of the population might have a diagnosable Autism spectrum disorder. As per the statistical data of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report 2012, the pervasiveness of ASD has been raised up to 1 in every 88 births in the United States (US) and about 1 in 54 boys. A colossal increase in the rate of ASD has been observed since 1980s when kids were diagnosed nearly one to five in ten thousand. Hence the society has improved at diagnosing the disorder with advancement in technology and it has been observed that the people are relatively more ready to accept the reality and provide their child with quality treatment. The human convictions are governed by both their brain and cultural values. In United States there exists a cultural belief that the parents with a kid suffering from autism are a great source of support for any other child having ASD compared to that child’s own blood relatives. This other child is completely a stranger to them but the fact that they too have a child suffering from this disorder makes them understand his feelings. They are well aware of the way to treat and motivate such children. Furthermore, they are also better able to comprehend what other parents with an ASD child are going through. In Western medication, a sickness is seen as an individual's issue created by imperfections in the capacity of his or her body leaving the individual being seen as a variation from the normal individuals. In the Western medicine culture the sickness results in obstructions, stereotypes, and individual endurance that the individual must battle to overcome or keep on misery through. Autism in western medicine is characterized as a developmental disorder leading to weakness in cognitive responses manifesting in different attributes. The exact reason of cognitive impairment in autism is obscure and up for a detailed debate. Autism spectrum disorder in Western societies is seen as a serious, debilitating disease in which people are restricted in various aspects of their everyday life (Myricks & Vickson, 2012). In Europe, there are a large number of youngsters who have been suffering from ASD. British autistic advocates demand that the autistic individuals should be recognized as a minority rather than incapacitated, in light of the fact that they say ‘disability discrimination laws don’t protect those who are not disabled but who still have something that makes them look or act differently from other people’ (Ecker, 2010). They believe it to be less of a disorder and more of a different way of living and visualizing the world. On contrary to this in Asian cultures where the family size is limited, having a child suffering with ASD is considered a disgrace. Social Aspects Different people respond in a different manner towards various situations. After a child is diagnosed with ASD, some parents feel satisfied to know what their child is going through and that they now can work on it. They feel blessed to be informed that their child’s behavior is not a result of their carelessness during his or her growth age. In contrast to this some parents yell at other people to find someone to blame. They are continuously in a state of denial. They feel guilty and distur...