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Review
. 2024 Dec;26(12):761-770.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-024-01551-y. Epub 2024 Oct 26.

Addressing Stigma-Related Health Disparities for Autistic Individuals Through Cultural Competemility: Insights from Research and Lived Experience

Emily Hotez  1 , Jenny M Phan  2   3 , Dieu M Truong  4
Affiliations
Review

Addressing Stigma-Related Health Disparities for Autistic Individuals Through Cultural Competemility: Insights from Research and Lived Experience

Emily Hotez et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Autistic individuals experience disproportionate stigma across the life course in interpersonal, healthcare, and educational contexts. These experiences contribute to negative health and healthcare outcomes for this population. This paper seeks to describe autistic individuals' experiences of stigma and marginalization; discuss frameworks such as Campinha-Bacote's innovative concept of cultural competemility and its relevance to autistic populations; offer recommendations to healthcare providers based on this framework; and apply theory to practice in a case study.

Recent findings: Autistic individuals increasingly understand autism as an important aspect of their identity. There are, however, few culturally informed healthcare efforts that reflect this understanding. As a result, efforts to address stigma-related health disparities for this population have limited effectiveness. In this manuscript, we highlight opportunities within clinical encounters, medical training, healthcare offices and systems, and research to provide higher quality culturally informed care to autistic populations and address stigma-related health disparities.

Keywords: Autism; Culture; Identity; Marginalization; Stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
This diagram, adapted from T.D. Goode (2021) Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence [49], illustrates the convergence of various sociodemographic identities (such as being autistic, Asian, a woman, and multilingual) and their interactions with different systems including family, community, and societal sectors. The outer rings represent the broader systems influencing these identities, such as the healthcare system, legal system, educational system, and more. The overlapping areas within the central circle highlight the complex interplay of these identities and the compounded impact of factors like immigrant status, code-switching, and age on the lived experiences of an autistic Asian woman
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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