Examining contextual, experiential and psychological factors that influence (determine and threaten) the wellbeing of Black and minority ethnic groups

在过去的几十年里，对自闭症谱系障碍（以下简称ASD）研究的增长（例如APA, 2013; Zainal & Magiati, 2016）表明，尽管有无数的信息，研究人员、家庭、社区和社会仍然认为自闭症是一种复杂的疾病。自闭症复杂的本质需要跨学科的方法（神经科学、心理学、言语和语言、视觉艺术、人机交互、人工智能和教育）来理解这种情况的复杂本质，并为关于最好地支持自闭症儿童的对话和辩论做出贡献（Porayska-Pomsta et al., 2012）。研究问题将通过观察西非移民父母在不同的英国文化中对自闭症的反应来研究文化如何塑造对自闭症的理解和方法。这项研究对于理解文化如何影响个体对自闭症的社会心理理解至关重要；但在学术界的研究却明显不足。因此，自闭症的文化研究对于促进现有的对话，跨学科的方法和获得对自闭症的整体理解至关重要。[…传统的残疾研究通常以被视为剥夺权力的方式来代表“残疾人”（Rodan & Ellis, 2016; Morris, 1992; Slee, 1996），因此，重要的是，新的研究要认识到ASD和神经正常个体之间存在的权力动态。Barnes（1992）呼吁对残疾的研究成为“解放”，即“研究是关于系统地揭开造成残疾的结构和过程的神秘面纱，并在研究界和残疾人之间建立可行的‘对话’，以促进后者的赋权”（122）。这种意识对于构建一项研究至关重要，该研究旨在以残疾人（以及那些代表他们的倡导者）认为是解放而不是歧视的方式来理解残疾人，从而支持本研究的目的，即在西方社会中赋予西非照顾者权力。[…这项研究将提高黑人参与者对自闭症的认识，特别是西非父母对他们自闭症孩子的经历。这项研究将在一个研究有限的领域发展实质性的研究和理论，导致对黑人社区自闭症状况的态度的比较理解和解释，并开始减少与残疾/自闭症有关的耻辱，特别是在西非社区。此外，研究结果将为专业实践提供信息：鼓励专业人员，无论是教师还是卫生从业人员，对自己进行ASD教育，以及对西非父母的文化影响（Papadopoulos, 2016），鼓励父母和专业人员之间建立密切的工作关系。

The growth of research on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, (hereafter ASD) over the last few decades (e.g. APA, 2013; Zainal & Magiati, 2016) suggests that researchers, families, communities, and societies still consider autism a complex disorder despite the myriad of information available. The intricate nature of autism requires an interdisciplinary approach (neuroscience, psychology, speech and language, visual arts, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence and education) to understand the confounding nature of the condition, contribute to the dialogue and debate on the best to support children with autism (Porayska-Pomsta et al., 2012). The research questions will examine how culture shapes understandings and approaches to autism by observing how West-African immigrant parents respond to ASD within the diverse UK culture. This study is vital to understand how culture influences individuals' psychosocial understanding of autism; yet conspicuously under-researched in academia. Subsequently, a cultural study of autism is essential to contribute to the existing dialogue, an interdisciplinary approach and to gain a holistic understanding of ASD. [...]Traditional research on disability has usually represented 'the disabled' in ways which can be viewed as disempowering (Rodan & Ellis, 2016; Morris, 1992; Slee, 1996), therefore it is important that new research recognise the power dynamics that exist between ASD and neurotypical individuals. Barnes (1992) call for research into disability to become 'emancipatory' whereby "research is about the systematic demystification of the structures and processes which create disability, and the establishment of a workable 'dialogue' between the research community and disabled people to facilitate the latter's empowerment" (122). Such awareness is paramount in constructing a study which seeks to understand the disabled (and those who advocate on behalf of them) in ways which they view as emancipatory rather than discriminatory, thus, supporting the purpose of this research to empower the West-African caregivers in a Western society. [...]This research will raise awareness of how Black participants perceive ASD, particularly West-African parents' experiences of their ASD child. This study will develop substantive research and theory in an area where limited research exists, lead to a comparative understanding and explanation of attitudes of the autism condition in the Black community and begin to reduce stigma attached to disability/autism, specifically, in West-African community. Furthermore, the study findings will inform professional practice: encourage professionals, whether teachers or health practitioners to educate themselves on ASD and the cultural influence on West-African parents (Papadopoulos, 2016) to encourage close working relationship between parents and professionals.