HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC-CHILDREN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF NORMAL FAMILY-LIFE

Authors
GRAY DE
Citation
De. Gray, HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC-CHILDREN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF NORMAL FAMILY-LIFE, Social science & medicine, 44(8), 1997, pp. 1097-1106
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Social Sciences, Biomedical","Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
Journal title
Social science & medicine → ACNP
ISSN journal
02779536
Volume
44
Issue
8
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1097 - 1106
Database
ISI
SICI code
0277-9536(1997)44:8<1097:HAATCO>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
This study examines the social construction of normal family life amon g the parents of children with high functioning autism or Asperger's s yndrome. The meaning of the concept of normal family life is reviewed, and a constructionist perspective is employed to understand the paren ts' evaluations of their families. The results present a description o f the factors used as evidence for or against family normality and the variations in such perceptions according to the gender of the parent and the child's autistic symptoms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.