158 Kanokporn Vibulpatanavong
in the community” ( Jegatheesan et al., 2010, p. 98). Findings from studies by Tait
and Mundia (2012) on Bruneian families, and Hersinta Suroso (2012) on Indonesian
families, found Muslim families tended to interpret Autism positively. However,
some families felt that their faith was challenged, and that without explanations,
their neighbors may not understand about Autism. Nevertheless, Tait and Mundia
(2012) explained that attributing Autism to external causes, such as a divine bless-
ing or a divine test, resulted in higher acceptance of children with Autism and less
self-blame in parents.
In a Jewish ultraorthodox community in Israel, Shaked and Bilu (2006) found
that mothers of children with Autism believed that their children were of higher
spiritual status. They believed that their child was not capable of intentionally com-
mitting sin so their child would remain pure in this life, or that their child was less
spiritually restricted and was more capable of seeing the divide presence, or that
their child was a reincarnation of a righteous person who had been born to correct
one small flaw committed in the previous life. However, some of the mothers also
expressions concern over their children’s behaviors, and believed that they had to
overcome sufferings in life for spiritual growth.
These studies show us that in different theist religions, there are parents who are
able use their religion as a framework for interpreting Autism positively in ways that
are helpful to them in coping with challenges, supportive to the development of
their children, and subsequently beneficial to the social inclusion of their children.
If parents are able to do so, there is a good chance that people in the communities,
with the support of religious organizations and professionals working with children
with Autism, are also able to interpret Autism in a positive light and make the com-
munity more inclusive for children with Autism.
In Buddhism, however, there is no god. Situations in life are explained through
the law of conditionality, also referred as the law of dependent condition (Ratanakul,
1999). Based on the law, all things in life are interdependent as causes and effects.
Included in the law of conditionality is the law of karma, a subtle law in which
actions lead to consequences. Buddhist people in Thailand often attribute disability
to “karma” (Proyer, 2014), the past deeds of the child with disability or of their
families in the past or the present life.
In an interview with a group of parents, a father of a child with Autism shared, “I
believe it was karma, because in my side of the family, there is no history of Autism.
Also, there is no history in my wife’s family.” A mother of a child with Autism
explained the delay in the diagnosis as, “Why do I found out when she was nine?...
Why didn’t they tell me? Until she was nine, several people told me to go see a
doctor. I think it’s about karma. Really, I had just found out, it took me 8–9 years.”
As a result of her belief in karma, the mother committed to Buddhism practices
such as praying and meditation:
I pray and mediate, and make wishes... I pray every day for my daughter, for
my family, my husband, for her to have better development, for her to be in
the community, to get along with other children, and teachers, I feel that she