When most people hear the word culture, they think of the big things — race, religion, or language.
But culture is much more than that. It’s the quiet rhythm of how people live, connect, celebrate, and communicate.
Culture isn’t just about where someone comes from — it’s about how they move through the world.*
It shows up in our daily routines, in how we communicate, what we value, and what we believe makes life “good.”
For the people we support, understanding culture helps us understand them — their story, their identity, and their unique way of being.
Culture in Action
I’ve got two group chats on my phone.
One is my fantasy football group chat — full of memes, trash talk, and years of inside jokes and friendly rivalry. Every Sunday, it’s chaos. People arguing over bad trades, wild GIFs flying, and someone bringing up that one time I lost a playoff by half a point.
Now, my family group chat? Totally different story. That one’s filled with heart emojis, pictures of the kids, “Good morning” texts, and a whole lot of “I love yous.”
If my mom ever accidentally ended up in my fantasy football group chat, I might have to flee the country.
But here’s the thing — neither chat is fake. Both are me.
I’m just showing up differently depending on the culture of the group I’m in. That’s what culture does — it shapes how we show up.
Culture in the People We Support
The same is true for the people we support.
Culture plays a huge role in how people express themselves, what they value, and how they define a “good life.”
It shows up in:
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How people communicate
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The traditions or rituals that matter to them
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How they view family roles, gender, food, spirituality, time, and privacy
And just like people — culture isn’t static.
It evolves and grows as people grow.
That’s why our job is to stay curious and open.
We can’t assume someone’s experience based on one part of their identity.
People are layered. They contain multitudes.
Our role isn’t to judge that — it’s to understand it and build support that reflects their values, not ours.
That’s where true inclusion begins.
The Cultural Continuum
There’s a model I like to use called the Cultural Continuum.
It has three layers:
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Cultural Competence
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Cultural Proficiency
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Cultural Humility
Each one builds on the last.
Cultural Competence starts with awareness.
It’s about acknowledging your own worldview and realizing not everyone sees the world the way you do.
Ever assumed someone celebrates a holiday like you do — or expected a big life event to look the same for everyone?
Competence is that moment when you pause and ask, “What’s their story?”
Cultural Proficiency is where awareness turns into action.
It’s not about becoming an expert in someone’s culture — it’s about showing respect through the little things.
Like remembering someone’s favorite snack, asking before assuming how they want to be supported, or grabbing them a tea instead of coffee because you paid attention.
And then there’s Cultural Humility — the heart of it all.
It’s the reminder that no matter how much we learn, we’re never done learning.
It’s staying curious, asking questions, and letting someone’s story reshape how we think.
These three ideas — competence, proficiency, and humility — work together to help us show up with empathy, respect, and genuine curiosity.
The Culture of One
During intake meetings or IPPs, I started noticing a pattern.
We were making decisions based on labels.
We’d see “female” and think, “Okay, women’s home.”
We’d see “behavioral” and say, “Send to the behavioral program.”
But were we really thinking about the person — their values, goals, and what makes them light up?
Not really.
We were putting people into boxes based on surface-level info.
That’s not person-centered — that’s label-centered.
Every single person has what I call a Culture of One, made up of their:
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Beliefs
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Past
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Preferences
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Relationships
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Dreams and routines
When we take the time to learn those things — when we ask, listen, and learn — we move from fitting people into programs to shaping programs around people.
That’s where real connection starts.
Closing Thought
Culture is everywhere — in our families, our routines, our slang, even our group chats.
The goal isn’t to get it right. It’s to keep learning.
When we do that, we’re not just honoring someone’s individuality — we’re honoring their humanity.
If you’d like to learn more about Person-Centered Thinking or join an in-person PCT course led by me, reach out at kparker@autism-vac.org — I’d love to connect.