Supporting tamariki takiwātanga Māori (autistic Māori children): Exploring the experience of early childhood educators.
Jessica Tupou, Chevelle Ataera, Carla Wallace-Watkin and 1 others
PMID 37401005WHAT IT FOUND
Twelve early childhood educators prioritised wellbeing, relationships, and cultural identity for autistic Māori children, adapting teaching to each child.
They wanted autism training that reflects Māori world views, because many felt unprepared to support cultural development.
Key findings
01Educators described autism as a difference and a special way of being, not a deficit or disorder.
02Participants said their key focus was supporting wellbeing, and they recognised a link between cultural identity and wellbeing for autistic Māori children.
03All participants wanted autism professional learning with a te ao Māori or cultural focus, and many non-Māori teachers acknowledged needing more support in this area.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted and reported in English, not te reo Māori, so cultural nuance may have been lost. Māori knowledge and understandings may vary across iwi, so the findings should not be read as one Māori view. All twelve participants were passionate and knowledgeable about autism, so the findings may not reflect all early childhood educators. No male educators participated, and the sample may have been different if it included less experienced or less engaged educators.
Declared interests
Three authors are involved in delivering community-based services for autistic children and their families. The work was supported by an MBIE Science Whitinga Fellowship awarded to J.T., and the named funder is Royal Society Te Apārangi.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat educators' uncertainty about te reo Māori as evidence that using te reo Māori harms non-speaking autistic children. The study reports twelve educators' experiences and did not measure language outcomes.