Neurodiversity and the Asian Perspective

For many Asian families, the concept of being neurodiversity-affirming is still unfamiliar, inaccessible, or even in direct conflict with cultural narratives around disability and difference. We're not 'behind' however, we're different and the way we need to conceptualise support for Asian populations has to be different too.

We risk perpetuating the harm that has been done to our autism and ADHD community when looking at their support through a neurotypical lens when we continue to provide therapy to our communities through a Western lens.

So many Asian families are doing the best they can—navigating systems that weren’t built with them in mind. If we truly care about inclusive, neurodiversity affirming practice, we need to dig deeper and recognise how culture plays a role.

Let’s break it down:

1. Language and Conceptual Gaps

For many families, especially those with limited English proficiency, the language around neurodiversity is dense, Western-centric, and sometimes untranslatable. Words like “sensory regulation,” “masking,” or “self-advocacy” don’t always have direct equivalents in other languages. If they do, they carry different cultural connotations. For example, according to Sharen Lui at Sprout Psychology, autism in Mandarin is directly translated to loneliness disorder, without any other ways that clinicians can change it to be more inclusive of its evolution.

This isn’t just a translation issue, but one that lies in the creation of meaning.

We need more culturally grounded metaphors and frameworks to explain neurodiversity in ways that resonate. Representation in translated resources matters, but so does cultural relevance.

2. Stigma and Cultural Beliefs

In many cultures, disability (especially invisible disability) is still heavily stigmatised. Families may fear judgment, rejection, or being blamed for their child’s differences. Neurodivergence is often seen through a medicalised or moral lens—something to be corrected or hidden so as to keep the family name in tact.

In such contexts, “affirming” a child’s neurodivergence may feel confusing, unsafe, or even irresponsible. In India and parts of South East Asia, differences may be attributed to 'karma' of wrongdoings in a past life or possession by a 'djinn'. Understanding the lens through which we see these differences is essential to meeting families where they're at. We can support these families using language from their current contexts rather than Western overlays. Some families might find meaning in turning to star charts and numerology to make sense of someone's developmental path. Some cultures may also adopt a different perspective to developmental milestones, being more fluid than Western culture that values reaching certain milestones at certain ages. As such, research has recognised that Asian families may present later for a diagnostic assessment, whilst having more pronounced traits. (Hussain et al, 2023)

We can’t just preach inclusion. We have to create safe, trusted spaces for unlearning internalised stigma, and offer culturally respectful ways to reframe difference that take different perspectives into account.

3. Intergenerational and Bicultural Tensions

In collectivist families, there often exists a generational divide. Parents and grandparents may hold traditional values or beliefs about child development that clash with the affirming practices kids are being taught at school or therapy. Furthermore, in some collectivist families, grandparents are the ones who hold power over family decisions and the opinions of the matriarch or patriarch set the tone for the family.

A child may be encouraged to advocate for their needs, but the family values deference and obedience. A therapist might suggest giving the child more autonomy, while the parents feel they're being told to "spoil" them or it doesn't feel right from the traditionally hierarchical family they grew up in.

This isn’t about who’s right but about building bridges of understanding.

It's also about what feels personally meaningful for the family, and taking how they form identity into context. Affirming practice should consider important people to the individual, and find ways to honour culture and neurodivergence at the same time. It's up to each family to decide and sieve through the parts of their heritage that they'd like to hold true that serve them, and the parts of culture that we've fused with trauma and no longer serve us.

4. Systemic Barriers to Accessing Affirming Services

Asian families often face racism, discrimination, and bias in healthcare and education, particularly when living in Western countries. They may not trust professionals or feel heard when they express concerns. Additionally, some interventions may not match with what their beliefs are. For example, being your authentic self and 'unmasking' can be seen as a Western, individualistic concept that ignores collectivist values and familial/group obligations. This can lead to a distrust of health professionals and the system at large to being able to support them. Therefore, we might be more likely to experience late or missed diagnoses, and less likely to be offered strengths-based, affirming interventions. Even when services are available, they’re rarely offered in community languages or tailored to diverse worldviews.

We need more therapists and safe spaces to help build bridges of understanding between culture and newer understandings of neurodivergence in order to support information uptake for us all.

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Continuing to listen to a variety of voices in the Asian community will support us in gaining a deeper understanding of what Asian communities are like, the nuances, the complexities, the strengths that we have that can become a beautiful celebration of culture and affirmation of our neurotype. About the Author Sandhya Menon is an Autistic/ADHDer Psychologist who grew up in Singapore and moved to Australia for university, where she now lives with her husband and children. She was identified in 2021, with ADHD being her first diagnosis. She is possibly gifted, but thanks no thanks to ADHD having failed a lot of secondary school subjects, she's still working through believing this. She can be found at: Instagram: www.instagram.com/onwardsandupwardspsych Facebook: www.facebook.com/onanduppsych LinkedIn: Sandhya Menon | LinkedIn