Perspectives on Children’s Autistic Traits in UK-based British and Egyptian/Sudanese Communities

TY - JOUR

T1 - Perspectives on Children’s Autistic Traits in UK-based British and Egyptian/Sudanese Communities

AU - Genovesi, Eli

AU - Ullmer, Philippa

AU - Bhatti, Laila

AU - Meyer, Pauline

AU - Memon, Perah

AU - Panchani, Dimple

AU - Rafla, Monica

AU - Welford, Maya

AU - Hoekstra, Rosa

N1 - Funding Information: The authors have no competing interests. The work was funded by undergraduate research project funding from King’s College London . EG is currently supported by a studentship from the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council [ ES/P000703/1 ]. RAH receives support from the National Institute of Health and Care Research ( NIHR200842 ) using UK aid from the UK Government. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. We would like to thank all participating parents. Funding Information: The authors have no competing interests. The work was funded by undergraduate research project funding from King's College London. EG is currently supported by a studentship from the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council [ES/P000703/1]. RAH receives support from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR200842) using UK aid from the UK Government. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. We would like to thank all participating parents. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/8/2

Y1 - 2023/8/2

N2 - Background: While most autism research is conducted in White Western samples, culture may affect perceptions and reporting of autistic traits. We explored how UK-based British and Egyptian/Sudanese communities perceive autism features. Methods and Procedures: Nineteen participants self-identifying as British and 20 as Egyptian/Sudanese participated in focus group discussions on child development norms, and individual interviews on items of the Autism-spectrum Quotient: Children’s version (AQ-Child; Auyeung et al., 2007), measuring autistic traits. Data were analysed using template analysis. Outcomes and Results: Three themes were developed: 1) Value judgements of behaviours; 2) Considerations on differences between children; 3) Problematic interpretations of AQ-Child items. These processes may affect how parents and community members report on children’s autistic traits. Cross-cultural comparisons suggested subtle differences in interpretations and judgements, and British participants referred to age expectations and comparisons with other children more than Egyptian/Sudanese participants. However, within-group variability, sometimes attributed to socioeconomic status and generation, appeared larger than cross-cultural differences. Conclusions and Implications: Our findings further the insights on influence of culture and within-community factors on reporting children’s behaviour relevant to autism. These can inform the adaptation of screening tools in multi-cultural settings, to promote better autism recognition in communities where it may be underdiagnosed.

AB - Background: While most autism research is conducted in White Western samples, culture may affect perceptions and reporting of autistic traits. We explored how UK-based British and Egyptian/Sudanese communities perceive autism features. Methods and Procedures: Nineteen participants self-identifying as British and 20 as Egyptian/Sudanese participated in focus group discussions on child development norms, and individual interviews on items of the Autism-spectrum Quotient: Children’s version (AQ-Child; Auyeung et al., 2007), measuring autistic traits. Data were analysed using template analysis. Outcomes and Results: Three themes were developed: 1) Value judgements of behaviours; 2) Considerations on differences between children; 3) Problematic interpretations of AQ-Child items. These processes may affect how parents and community members report on children’s autistic traits. Cross-cultural comparisons suggested subtle differences in interpretations and judgements, and British participants referred to age expectations and comparisons with other children more than Egyptian/Sudanese participants. However, within-group variability, sometimes attributed to socioeconomic status and generation, appeared larger than cross-cultural differences. Conclusions and Implications: Our findings further the insights on influence of culture and within-community factors on reporting children’s behaviour relevant to autism. These can inform the adaptation of screening tools in multi-cultural settings, to promote better autism recognition in communities where it may be underdiagnosed.

KW - Autism Spectrum Disorder

KW - Autism

KW - Autistic traits

KW - Culture

KW - Parents

KW - Child development

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85166588248&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104576

DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104576

M3 - Article

SN - 0891-4222

VL - 140

JO - Research in Developmental Disabilities

JF - Research in Developmental Disabilities

M1 - 104576

ER -