Academic Major: Anthropology/Archaeology
Advisor: Faris Khan
Title: Autism, Cultural Perception and Barriers to Diagnosis in Northern New York
What is the cultural perception of autism in Northern New York, and how does it affect diagnosis? This project is relevant to me because I am an anthropology major, and it will give me first-hand experience of conducting ethnographic field research. The project is also relevant to me on a personal level because I am autistic. As a child, I struggled to get the resources that I needed in elementary school, even though I was already officially diagnosed. This was because I was doing well academically, even though I was struggling in other areas such as social interaction. I will use several anthropological data collection methods, including formal interviews, informal conversations, and one focus group to obtain primary information. I plan to interview medical professionals because they have diagnosed many people with autism and can provide insight into the question of how cultural barriers affect diagnosis. In addition, I will use interviews of autistic people (available in secondary sources) to gain insight about the autistic community. This project is significant to anthropology because very little research has been conducted about autism in rural areas like that of the North Country.