Navajo and autism: the beauty of harmony

Kapp, S. K. (2011). Navajo and autism: the beauty of harmony. Disability & Society, 26(5), 583-595. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2011.589192

Publication date: 1 Aug 2011 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)

Abstract

With so much unknown about autism, the disability tends to reflect the sociocultural preconceptions people project onto it. The predominant narrative in Western society of autism as a ‘disease’ within the medical model contrasts with the more positive, empowering view of autism as a ‘difference’ in the social model and neurodiversity movement. Society has also discriminated against and disabled the Navajo Native Americans since the arrival of Euro-Americans. Navajos resiliently balance between exercising self-determination within their own nation and adapting to outside society, with a culture that remains remarkably intact. The Navajo thus presented exceptional opportunity for cross-cultural analysis. It suggested that the traditional Navajo social constructs of harmony and beauty, as encompassed by a wellness philosophy called Hozho, better serve the needs of Autistic people than the Western notion of ‘progress’ through science and technology.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
70
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
2 / 70 (2.9%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
2 / 155 (1.3%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 2 / 7 (28.6%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 2 / 146 (1.4%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
7 / 155 (4.5%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 6 / 146 (4.1%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
5 / 7 (71.4%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 5 / 155 (3.2%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 4 / 6 (66.7%).
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