Supporting tamariki takiwatanga Maori (autistic Maori children): Exploring the experience of early childhood educators

The experience of the many autistic children who attend inclusive early childhood education settings is largely shaped by the knowledge and attitudes of the educators who support them. Autistic children from under-represented ethnic groups, such as autistic Maori, are likely to face additional challenges and educators need to consider strategies to support their cultural development. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 educators with recent experience supporting tamariki takiwatanga Maori (autistic Maori children) in inclusive early childhood settings. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis resulting in three themes and seven subthemes. Overall, participants' understandings of autism aligned with the neurodiversity perspective, and there were similarities between neurodiversity and Maori perspectives. Participants wanted more training and resources drawn from a Maori worldview and available in te reo Maori (the Maori language). These findings have important implications for practice and future research. Lay Abstract The knowledge and attitudes of educators can have a strong influence on the experiences of autistic children who attend inclusive early childhood settings. Autistic children from under-represented ethnic groups, for example, tamariki takiwatanga Maori (autistic Maori children), are likely to face extra challenges and educators need to consider ways to support their cultural development. For this study, we interviewed 12 educators with recent experience supporting tamariki takiwatanga Maori in inclusive early childhood settings. We constructed three themes and seven subthemes from the interview data. We found that educators' understandings of autism were mostly in line with the neurodiversity perspective, which views autism as a difference, not a disorder. We also found similarities between the neurodiversity perspective and Maori perspectives of autism and a need for more training and resources based upon a Maori world view and available in te reo Maori (the Maori language).