I have wanted to post about Autism and religion for a while. After Aiden's diagnosis, I like some parents, drew closer to my religion for comfort. I happen to be Christian, but I have read about this phenomenon in Islam and Judaism. What about the individuals who are Autistic? My younger brother, who is high functioning Autistic, is also Atheist. We were raised in the same household, had the same experiences, and were exposed to the same environment, so why the religious difference?
One in every 68 children are diagnosed with Autism. The impact is felt among all races and religions. So let’s explore the perspective of religion in Autism.
In 2012 there was a boom of internet articles about Autism and religion. Researchers found that individuals with Autism or Autistic traits are less likely to believe in God, than neuro-typical individuals. This could be due to Theory of Mind. The theory of mind has been discussed in Autism and Criminal Behavior. Theory of Mind basically refers to the phenomena in which an individual is unable to understand what another person is feeling. Researchers theorize that people believe in a God and have personal relationships with that deity, therefore they worship and someone with Autism is unable to understand why a god would need to feel love through worship. A research article published in 2010 in the journal Child Development showed through brain imaging that the area of the brain responsible for theory of mind is critical when people think about God.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of California wondered if Autism interferes with theory of mind so much that it affected religious beliefs. They conducted a small study including 12 children with ASD and 13 without. They discovered that youths with Autism were only 11% as likely to strongly believe in God, as their typical peers. Canadian researchers also conducted a study of 327 college students with autism like traits, but without a diagnosis. They had the students fill out a questionnaire ranking the predominance of autism like traits and strength of their religious feelings. This study found that the higher the Autism score the less likely the person would believe in God.
What about neuro-typical individuals? A study conducted in 2007 of American adults showed that 77% of women believe in God, compared to 65% of men. Theory of Mind plays a role here as well, since women are more likely to be adept at theory of mind when compared to the average man. So gender may play a role in theory of mind and religion. If 1 in every 48 boys is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder than it is statistically probable that more Autistic men will not believe in God.
So what do you do? If you are religious and your Autistic loved one is not, I believe it is important to show acceptance. I often engage my little brother in philosophical discussions about religion. He refers to science often during these discussions and I respond. For instance, he refers to the Theory of Evolution as proof that God does not exist. I simply point out that it could be the will of God to allow the evolution to occur. He and I enjoy these discussions, not because of heated debate, but obvious open acceptance of each other's perspectives. The pillars of every religion preach love and acceptance of others and I find this to be vital in all aspects of life. You can only relay the information, it is their choice to accept it or not. Religion is an individual choice and an individual journey.
We take Aiden to church. There was a time when he resisted going. We think it was due to an experience he had with one of the child care workers. He was not abused in any way, but she was not as understanding of him as she needed to be in order to impact his life positively. We expressed our concerns to the church and they were very understanding. It took me a few weeks to get Aiden to go back to church with a new child care teacher. He had a wonderful time. Now he asks to go back to church, which is a positive thing I want to encourage. During the time he was resistant to go I did not force it on him and he stayed home. I made it a point to pray with him every night at bed time and sing biblical children's songs. I asked every week if he wanted to go, letting him know the option was open to him, but did not force my decisions on him.
You as a parent have to weigh the risks and reward for your own child. There is no one who can tell you what decision is right for your family. I simply share my personal experiences in hope that you can put these tools in your parenting toolbox.
If you would like to read more about Autism and religion I would invite you to read this list of articles:
Livescience: Autism May Diminish Belief in God
Huffington Post: Autism-God Study Suggests Disorder Makes Belief in Diety Less Likely
Psychology Today: Does Autism Lead to Atheism?
Science + Religion Today: Why are High-Functioning Autistics More Likely to be Atheists or Agnostics?
For coping strategies in a religious setting, please see this article:
The National Autistic Society: Religion- Going to a Place of Worship
In 2012 there was a boom of internet articles about Autism and religion. Researchers found that individuals with Autism or Autistic traits are less likely to believe in God, than neuro-typical individuals. This could be due to Theory of Mind. The theory of mind has been discussed in Autism and Criminal Behavior. Theory of Mind basically refers to the phenomena in which an individual is unable to understand what another person is feeling. Researchers theorize that people believe in a God and have personal relationships with that deity, therefore they worship and someone with Autism is unable to understand why a god would need to feel love through worship. A research article published in 2010 in the journal Child Development showed through brain imaging that the area of the brain responsible for theory of mind is critical when people think about God.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of California wondered if Autism interferes with theory of mind so much that it affected religious beliefs. They conducted a small study including 12 children with ASD and 13 without. They discovered that youths with Autism were only 11% as likely to strongly believe in God, as their typical peers. Canadian researchers also conducted a study of 327 college students with autism like traits, but without a diagnosis. They had the students fill out a questionnaire ranking the predominance of autism like traits and strength of their religious feelings. This study found that the higher the Autism score the less likely the person would believe in God.
What about neuro-typical individuals? A study conducted in 2007 of American adults showed that 77% of women believe in God, compared to 65% of men. Theory of Mind plays a role here as well, since women are more likely to be adept at theory of mind when compared to the average man. So gender may play a role in theory of mind and religion. If 1 in every 48 boys is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder than it is statistically probable that more Autistic men will not believe in God.
So what do you do? If you are religious and your Autistic loved one is not, I believe it is important to show acceptance. I often engage my little brother in philosophical discussions about religion. He refers to science often during these discussions and I respond. For instance, he refers to the Theory of Evolution as proof that God does not exist. I simply point out that it could be the will of God to allow the evolution to occur. He and I enjoy these discussions, not because of heated debate, but obvious open acceptance of each other's perspectives. The pillars of every religion preach love and acceptance of others and I find this to be vital in all aspects of life. You can only relay the information, it is their choice to accept it or not. Religion is an individual choice and an individual journey.
We take Aiden to church. There was a time when he resisted going. We think it was due to an experience he had with one of the child care workers. He was not abused in any way, but she was not as understanding of him as she needed to be in order to impact his life positively. We expressed our concerns to the church and they were very understanding. It took me a few weeks to get Aiden to go back to church with a new child care teacher. He had a wonderful time. Now he asks to go back to church, which is a positive thing I want to encourage. During the time he was resistant to go I did not force it on him and he stayed home. I made it a point to pray with him every night at bed time and sing biblical children's songs. I asked every week if he wanted to go, letting him know the option was open to him, but did not force my decisions on him.
You as a parent have to weigh the risks and reward for your own child. There is no one who can tell you what decision is right for your family. I simply share my personal experiences in hope that you can put these tools in your parenting toolbox.
If you would like to read more about Autism and religion I would invite you to read this list of articles:
Livescience: Autism May Diminish Belief in God
Huffington Post: Autism-God Study Suggests Disorder Makes Belief in Diety Less Likely
Psychology Today: Does Autism Lead to Atheism?
Science + Religion Today: Why are High-Functioning Autistics More Likely to be Atheists or Agnostics?
For coping strategies in a religious setting, please see this article:
The National Autistic Society: Religion- Going to a Place of Worship
Great information about on Autism and Information Technology, Big Data for Diagnosis. Very informative and well written post! Quite interesting and nice topic chosen for the post Nice Post keep it up.Excellent post.I want to thank you for this informative post. I really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your work.
ReplyDeletebioinformatics databases