Cultural practices in Chinese families of children with autism in addressing challenging behaviors

Objectives Guided by Swidler’s cultural toolkit theory, this study explored how Chinese families of children with autism spectrum disorder address challenging behaviors through mobilizing cultural resources, adapting intervention techniques, and negotiating cultural norms, thus providing supplementary perspectives to the technology-centered intervention paradigm.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 families in Heilongjiang Province, China. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify cultural practice experiences.Results Three themes emerged: (1) families’ creative use of traditional resources, including the philosophy of ‘conquering hardness with softness,’ festival rituals, and cultural artifacts; (2) cultural adaptation of Western interventions through modifying Applied Behavior Analysis reinforcers and incorporating folk stories into Relationship Development Intervention; (3) stigma circumvention strategies through information control and intergenerational responsibility transfer, along with unmet cultural expectations and support needs.Conclusions Chinese families demonstrate agency as cultural innovators, transcending passive recipient roles when addressing challenging behaviors. The research findings demonstrate the potential value of developing intervention systems for challenging behaviors in children with autism that incorporate indigenous cultural elements. Recommendations include establishing cultural liaison systems and developing culturally-integrated programs to support families more effectively.