Influence of culture on social inclusion of children with Autism 163In the Thai language, in order to politely address superiors, acquaintances, or
strangers, polite particles ‘ka’ or ‘krab’ need to be added at the end of the sentence.
The particle ‘ka’ is used when the speaker is female, and ‘krab’ is used when the
speaker is male. In school, the particles ‘ka’ and ‘krab’ are not often used when
informally talking to classmates or younger students. In addition, in the Thai lan-
guage, speaking briefly or curtly can be considered impolite. To be polite, speakers
need to speak softly and use extending sounds (Smalley and Prasithrathsint, 1989).
According to the interviews with teachers in the Buddhist-based school, students
with Autism sometimes talk to adults without adding particles at the end of the
sentence, or without extending sounds, which can make them sound curt and
impolite. A boy with Autism also mistakenly used ‘ka’ in place of ‘krab’ as he was
surrounded by females rather than males.
In order to promote social inclusion for children with Autism, language-
specific issues need to be considered. Further investigation needs to be conducted
into understanding how different languages can differently influence social
acceptance of children with Autism. Training materials for promoting understand-
ing of children with Autism may need to be specifically designed for speakers of
each language.
Children with Autism in multicultural environments also face challenges with
respect to language issues. In their review of eight studies, Drysdale, Van der Meer,
and Kagohara (2015) reported that bilingualism does not appear to have a nega-
tive impact on the language development of children with Autism. South Asian
Muslim American immigrant families thought their native language was important
for their child with Autism in communicating with non-English speaking family
members, particularly with elders who frequently helped take care for the child.
( Jegatheesan, 2011) Being able to communicate in their native languages helped
children with Autism participate in family social life and cultural activities con-
ducted in their native languages. In addition, Arabic language is important for a
child in participating in religious life, such as saying prayer, and attending religious
ceremonies. However, the English language, the language of the dominant cul-
ture, is also important to participating in the mainstream community ( Jegatheesan,
2011). In being exposed to two languages, some children learn the two languages
equally well, while some may be more proficient in one language (Bird, Lamond
and Holden, 2011). In order to promote social inclusion for children with Autism
in a multicultural environment, in order to fully participate in their community,
children with Autism may need to learn both the skills required for their native
culture, as well as that of the mainstream culture.
Cultural perceptions of social skills of children with Autism
Social skills are importance for children with Autism to be socially accepted by
community members and to establish friendships. However, socially appropriate
behaviors differ from culture to culture (Perepa, 2014). In a study by Perepa (2014),
parents from minority ethnic communities in the United Kingdom (UK) felt that