Difference or Disorder? Cultural Issues in Understanding Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Published in: Developmental psychology 2013-01, Vol.49 (1), p.45-58
• Main Authors: Norbury, Courtenay Frazier, Sparks, Alison
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic spectrum disorders; Behavior; Clinical Diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive theories; Cross Cultural Differences; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Crosscultural studies; Cultural Context; Cultural Differences; Cultural Influences; Cultural values; Culture; Culture (Anthropological); Decision Making; Developmental disabilities; Developmental Disabilities - diagnosis; Developmental Disabilities - epidemiology; Developmental disorders; Developmental psychology; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Epistemology; Ethnic Groups; Ethnicity; Europe; Evaluation Criteria; Expectations; Foreign Countries; Genetics; Human; Humans; Incidence; Individual Differences; Language Development Disorders - diagnosis; Language Development Disorders - epidemiology; Language Impairments; Medical treatment; Minority & ethnic groups; North Americans; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Prevalence; Racial and Ethnic Differences; Sociocultural Factors; Specific Language Impairment; Treatment; U.S.A; Values
• ISSN: 0012-1649; 1939-0599
• DOI: 10.1037/a0027446

Developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment, are biologically based disorders that currently rely on behaviorally defined criteria for diagnosis and treatment. Specific behaviors that are included in diagnostic frameworks and the point at which individual differences in behavior constitute abnormality are largely arbitrary decisions. Such decisions are therefore likely to be strongly influenced by cultural values and expectations. This is evident in the dramatically different prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder across countries and across different ethnic groups within the same country. In this article, we critically evaluate the understanding of developmental disorders from a cultural perspective. We specifically consider the challenges of applying diagnostic methods across cultural contexts, the influence of cultural values and expectations on the identification and treatment of children with suspected disorders, and how cross-cultural studies can help to refine cognitive theories of disorder that have been derived exclusively from Western North American and European investigations. Our review synthesizes clinical, cultural, and theoretical work in this area, highlighting potential universals of disorder and concluding with recommendations for future research and practice.