Culture plays a major factor in how disorders like schizophrenia manifest. A schizophrenic in the U.S. whose delusions emerge as and regress into debilitating p

Culture plays a major factor in how disorders like schizophrenia manifest. A schizophrenic in the U.S. whose delusions emerge as and regress into debilitating paranoia (e.g. cameras everywhere, government out to get you) might have developed if raised in another society a different set of delusions which could functionally fit into the culture (e.g. classic example is as a spiritualist or oracle; an example which also speaks to our inability to imagine acceptable social roles and modern connotations regarding religious thinking.) And not just different, but less severe delusions. The stress which particularly violent delusions cause--directly (fear) and indirectly (detachment from society)--effect the progression and severeness of the disorder. I wouldn't be surprised if the same was true for autism.