Societal and cultural aspects of autism

Societal and cultural aspects of autism or sociology of autism^[1] come into play with recognition of autism, approaches to its support services and therapies, and how autism affects the definition of personhood.^[2] The autistic community is divided primarily into two camps; the autism rights movement and the pathology paradigm. The pathology paradigm advocates for supporting research into therapies, treatments, and/or a cure to help minimize or remove autistic traits, seeing treatment as vital to help individuals with autism, while the neurodiversity movement believes autism should be seen as a different way of being and advocates against a cure and interventions that focus on normalization (but do not oppose interventions that emphasize acceptance, adaptive skills building, or interventions that aim to reduce intrinsically harmful traits, behaviors, or conditions^[3]), seeing it as trying to exterminate autistic people and their individuality.^[4]^[5] Both are controversial in autism communities and advocacy which has led to significant infighting between these two camps.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] While the dominant paradigm is the pathology paradigm and is followed largely by autism research and scientific communities, the neurodiversity movement is highly popular among most autistic people,^[10] within autism advocacy, autism rights organizations, and related neurodiversity approaches have been rapidly growing and applied in the autism research field in the last few years.^[11]^[12]^[13]

There are many autism-related events and celebrations; including World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Sunday and Autistic Pride Day, and notable people have spoken about being autistic or are thought to be or have been autistic. Autism is diagnosed more frequently in males than in females.^[14]

^ Leveto, Jessica A. (2018). "Toward a sociology of autism and neurodiversity". Sociology Compass. 12 (12): e12636. doi:10.1111/soc4.12636. S2CID 149578139.
^ Cite error: The named reference Silverman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Ne’eman, Ari; Pellicano, Elizabeth (2022). "Neurodiversity as Politics". Human Development. 66 (2): 149–157. doi:10.1159/000524277. PMC 9881465. PMID 36714278. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference Harmon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Solomon, Andrew (23 May 2008). "The Autism Rights Movement". New York Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ "The Autism Rights Movement". nymag.com. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
^ Morgan, Jules (1 October 2016). "Autism spectrum disorder: difference or disability?". The Lancet Neurology. 15 (11): 1126. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30002-3. ISSN 1474-4422. S2CID 54341655.
^ Silverman, Chloe (1 September 2008). "Fieldwork on Another Planet: Social Science Perspectives on the Autism Spectrum". BioSocieties. 3 (3): 325–341. doi:10.1017/S1745855208006236. ISSN 1745-8560. S2CID 145379758.
^ "A medical condition or just a difference? The question roils autism community". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
^ Kapp, Steven K.; Gillespie-Lynch, Kristen; Sherman, Lauren E.; Hutman, Ted (2013). "Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity". Developmental Psychology. 49 (1): 59–71. doi:10.1037/a0028353. PMID 22545843. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^ Feinstein, Adam (11 December 2017). "Neurodiversity: The cases for and against" (PDF).
^ Dwyer, Patrick (2022). "The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers?". Human Development. 66 (2): 73–92. doi:10.1159/000523723. PMC 9261839. PMID 36158596. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^ Pellicano, Elizabeth; Houting, Jacquiline (2022). "Annual Research Review: Shifting from 'normal science' to neurodiversity in autism science". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 63 (4): 381–396. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13534. PMC 9298391. PMID 34730840.
^ Cite error: The named reference BazelonGirls was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] Leveto, Jessica A. (2018). "Toward a sociology of autism and neurodiversity". Sociology Compass. 12 (12): e12636. doi:10.1111/soc4.12636. S2CID 149578139.

[Silverman-2] Cite error: The named reference Silverman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Ne’eman, Ari; Pellicano, Elizabeth (2022). "Neurodiversity as Politics". Human Development. 66 (2): 149–157. doi:10.1159/000524277. PMC 9881465. PMID 36714278. Retrieved 23 December 2022.

[Harmon-4] Cite error: The named reference Harmon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Solomon3-5] Solomon, Andrew (23 May 2008). "The Autism Rights Movement". New York Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2019.

[Solomon2-6] "The Autism Rights Movement". nymag.com. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2021.

[:10-7] Morgan, Jules (1 October 2016). "Autism spectrum disorder: difference or disability?". The Lancet Neurology. 15 (11): 1126. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30002-3. ISSN 1474-4422. S2CID 54341655.

[:11-8] Silverman, Chloe (1 September 2008). "Fieldwork on Another Planet: Social Science Perspectives on the Autism Spectrum". BioSocieties. 3 (3): 325–341. doi:10.1017/S1745855208006236. ISSN 1745-8560. S2CID 145379758.

[:12-9] "A medical condition or just a difference? The question roils autism community". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 15 October 2021.

[10] Kapp, Steven K.; Gillespie-Lynch, Kristen; Sherman, Lauren E.; Hutman, Ted (2013). "Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity". Developmental Psychology. 49 (1): 59–71. doi:10.1037/a0028353. PMID 22545843. Retrieved 23 December 2022.

[11] Feinstein, Adam (11 December 2017). "Neurodiversity: The cases for and against" (PDF).

[12] Dwyer, Patrick (2022). "The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers?". Human Development. 66 (2): 73–92. doi:10.1159/000523723. PMC 9261839. PMID 36158596. Retrieved 23 December 2022.

[13] Pellicano, Elizabeth; Houting, Jacquiline (2022). "Annual Research Review: Shifting from 'normal science' to neurodiversity in autism science". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 63 (4): 381–396. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13534. PMC 9298391. PMID 34730840.

[BazelonGirls-14] Cite error: The named reference BazelonGirls was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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