Cultural Autism

In their book, Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work, authors Early, Ang, and Tan, use the term cultural autism to refer to “people who are seen as inept or even mentally disturbed.” The authors go on to say that autistic individuals display either “behavioral deficits” (for example, indifference to others, absence of speech or speech impairments, inability to tailor their behavior to varied social settings) or behavioral excesses (for example, too much of a certain kind of behavior, however appropriate, in a specific context).
The authors use the term cultural autism to refer to people with low behavioral CQ. In doing this, I think the authors show a lack of cultural intelligence (CQ) themselves. First, they refer to autistic individuals rather than individuals with autism. While some might see this as a minor distinction, cultural intelligence requires us to shift perspectives. People with disabilities are not defined by their disabilities; hence, they are people with autism.
Adults on the autistic spectrum display a wide range of behaviors, some of which might be considered socially awkward. But the same thing applies to those without autism. Indeed, some of the most socially inept behaviors are illustrated by the public’s reactions to individuals with autism. At times, the public’s reactions show a deficiency of communication and teamwork skills as well as a lack of compassion, understanding, and mindfulness. For instance, persons with autism may act inappropriately because of sensory overload. Telling them to “to snap out of it” or “get their act together” raises the question, who is showing a lack of CQ?
Finally, people with autism have many wonderful behavioral qualities. Some display exceptional kindness. Some disregard a person’s race due to their mindblindness; therefore, they do not get hung up on racial labels. Some can live in the moment and enjoy that moment for all its worth. And some can light up a room in an instant, just by their presence and engaging personality. Some of us may have a hard time seeing or appreciating these gifts because of our preconceived notions about autism. However, those of us who do not have autism need to show more CQ to observe these gifts.
I ought to know. I happen to be the father of a son with autism who displays all of these wonderful gifts and many, many more.