Exploring one Whānau Māori’s experience with an autism support program: a case study

Abstract

Māori are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is important that Māori who care for a young child on the autism spectrum have access to supports that are both effective and culturally appropriate. However, current approaches to supporting young children on the autism spectrum are based largely upon Western views of autism, learning, and development and may not meet the needs of Māori. This pilot study explored the experience of a Māori parent whose child participated in a play-based autism support program. The program consisted of 20 clinic-based sessions delivered over 10 weeks. Data were collected via attendance records, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. Results indicated that the participant’s experience with the program was largely positive. However, incorporating Māori resources and activities into the program may be beneficial for Māori.

Keywords:

• Early intervention
• autism spectrum disorder
• indigenous experiences

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).