There is very little research that specifically looks at how autism spectrum disorders are perceived in various communities. This qualitative research was conducted with parents who had children on the autistic spectrum belonging to four different ethnic communities (White British, Somali, West African and South Asian-63 in total) and living in the UK. The study found that the importance that the parents give to various social skills varied on the basis of their cultural background and the gender of the parent. This is an important aspect to consider while providing support and services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members if the services have to be appropriate for their needs. This consideration would also enable the individuals on the autism spectrum to develop appropriate social skills required within their cultural groups. This is a preliminary study and further research on the topic is required.Keywords: autism, social skills, parental perceptions, culture, ethnicity IntroductionAccording to some prevalent studies, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are understood to affect people from all ethnic backgrounds equally (Fombonne et al., 2001). Although diagnostic criteria until recently were underpinned by a 'triad of impairments' (Wing, 1988), the disorder was in practice most typically characterised by difficulties in social interactions (Charman & Stone, 2006). Teaching the 'hidden curriculum' of social skills is considered to be an essential aspect of working with individuals on the autism spectrum.It is argued that social understanding and social development are most affected by cultural factors and that accepted social norms are subject to considerable cultural variation (Dyches et al., 2005). It is possible therefore that there are differences in how 3 a disability is perceived on the basis of the social and cultural milieu of which it is a part (Shakespeare and Watson, 2001;Fletcher & Navarrete, 2003). In fact there have been academics who have argued that disabilities such as learning difficulties, behaviour, emotional and social difficulties are socially constructed (Gabel, 2004;Hatton, 2004;Lindsay, Pather and Strand, 2006) for precisely the same reasons. It has also been suggested that the system of special education is also culturally bound and that parents from minority ethnic communities can feel disenfranchised when they encounter and access such systems (Zionts et al., 2003;Kalyanpur and Harry, 2004). However, such discussions are still relatively new when it comes to autism; and there is very little research on how parents from different cultural backgrounds interpret the defining social behaviours used to identify autism.In this exploratory project, parents of children on the autism spectrum from four different cultural backgrounds in the UK were interviewed to discover how they interpreted the same set of social behaviours, all linked to an autism spectrum diagnosis.It was envisaged that such study could contribute to the emerging discussions about the social construc...

The study investigates a link between media portrayal of disabilities and its influence on teachers' perceptions of their students. By using semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires, participants (N = 8) gave an insight into their perceptions of the impact TV programmes and films have on their understanding of disability and teaching style. The findings reveal that the participants found the majority of media to sensationalise disability, perpetuate stereotypes and lack appropriate representation of people with disabilities in general. The teachers within the sample also acknowledged media as impacting their understanding, awareness and knowledge of disabilities and approaches, but they did not see it as impacting their teaching practices directly.

This research identifies the way in which one secondary school with a resourced provision for students with Asperger syndrome promotes social inclusion for them, and the perceptions of staff members and parents on the social experience of schooling for these children. Interviews were conducted with five teachers, two learning support assistants, and the head of the resourced provision. Questionnaires were completed by eight parents of students with Asperger syndrome who attend the provision. The research found that a positive social experience of schooling was perceived by members of staff and parents due to the additional support of the resource in teaching social skills, providing a safe place and support from the learning support assistants. Some negative perceptions of social experience were also reported, which highlighted the need for educational provision for students on the autism spectrum to be considered at an individual level.

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Dr Prithvi Perepa clarifies some of the popular misconceptions about autism and outlines how practitioners can support a child with the condition