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The Social, Cultural, and Political Discourses of Autism

  • Strikes a balance between critical perspectives and ‘real life’ challenges of navigating disabling impairments
  • Contributes to the literature psychiatric disability, and questions the psychiatric basis of autism
  • Takes a critical approach to language-in-use, while attending to the social and cultural construction of autism

Part of the book series: Education, Equity, Economy (EEEC, volume 9)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Introduction to the Social, Cultural, and Political Discourses of Autism

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 1-15
  3. Historical and Social Constructions of Disability

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 17-36
  4. What Is Autism? A Clinical Understanding

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 37-56
  5. Constructing the Meaning(s) of Autism

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 83-94
  6. Mental Health, Autism, and Issues of Inequality and Resources

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 95-129
  7. Stigma, Disability, and Autism

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 131-152
  8. Summarizing Core Issues

    • Jessica Nina Lester, Michelle O’Reilly
    Pages 153-163
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 165-199

About this book

Taking up a social constructionist position, this book illustrates the social and cultural construction of autism as made visible in everyday, educational, institutional and historical discourses, alongside a careful consideration of the bodily and material realities of embodied differences. The authors highlight the economic consequences of a disabling culture, and explore how autism fits within broader arguments related to normality, abnormality and stigma. To do this, they provide a theoretically and historically grounded discussion of autism—one designed to layer and complicate the discussions that surround autism and disability in schools, health clinics, and society writ large. In addition, they locate this discussion across two contexts – the US and the UK – and draw upon empirical examples to illustrate the key points. Located at the intersection of critical disability studies and discourse studies, the book offers a critical reframing of autism and childhood mental health disorders more generally. 

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA

    Jessica Nina Lester

  • University of Leicester & Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester, UK

    Michelle O'Reilly

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access