Islam and Autism

In popular culture — from the TV show Parenthood to high-traffic health blogs — I've noticed more and more stories about the domestic difficulties that come from raising a child with autism, particularly the emotional and financial toll it takes on parents.I had assumed — wrongly — that this would be true in all cultures. I was surprised to read, in an essay published earlier this summer, that some Muslim families embrace their child's autism. What's more, it seems that some aspects of Islam help these children develop stronger language skills.For her doctoral dissertation, educational anthropologist Brinda Jegatheesan observed three South Asian immigrant families who have young boys with autism. All are practicing Muslims and multilingual.Read more at...SFARI, September 2010.