Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-cultural Variability in Personal Identity

  • Dr. Aftab Khan (Author) Longwood University image/svg+xml
    Dr. Aftab Khan: Dr. Aftab Khan is currently working as an Assistant Professor of special education at Longwood University, USA. He received both his Doctoral and Master degrees in developmental psychology and education from the University of Toronto, Canada. At the University of Toronto, he was also involved on a large project investigating ‘Wisdom around the World’. He is passionate about learning individuals with exceptionality, especially those diagnosed with autism spectrum. Dr. Khan has over 20 years of experience in field of Special Education including teaching students at the university level, training professionals at the school level, and training parents in the community.
  • Dr. Michel Ferrari (Author) University of Toronto, Canada image/svg+xml
    Dr. Michel Ferrari: Dr. Michel Ferrari is Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. As Director of the Wisdom and Identity Lab, he explores the meaning of personal wisdom in people at different ages (from children to the elderly) from different nations. He has edited or co-edited 12 books and is currently leading a study that explores the relationship between wisdom and acculturation in Islamic immigrants and refugees to Canada; in applied practice, he and his students are studying the experience of wisdom in emerging adults with Autism.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.439
Abstract
This mixed-methods cross-cultural study compares the life narratives of personal identity in people with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Canada and Pakistan using a multifaceted model of personality. Forty-six male participants (half diagnosed with ASD) were recruited from Karachi, Pakistan, and the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder were matched with non-ASD according to age and academic education. They were interviewed and given self-report questionnaires about different aspects of identity. The Canadian ASD group was significantly higher in social identity, as compared to the Pakistani ASD group; the Pakistani ASD group placed greater emphasis on communion in their narratives than did the Canadian ASD group. Both ASD groups placed greater emphasis on personal agency, and valued conservation significantly more highly, than did non-ASD participants. These results support the McAdams and Pals model, showing how biology and culture mutually inform personal identity narratives.
Keywords
Autism, Biology, Cultural Differences, Cultural Influences, Foreign Countries, Genetics
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How to Cite
Khan, A., & Ferrari, M. (2020). Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-cultural Variability in Personal Identity. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 15(3), 103-121. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.439

Fall 2020

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  • Submitted September 25, 2020
  • Published October 15, 2020
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