Tupou Jessica, Ataera Chevelle, Wallace-Watkin Carla, Waddington Hannah
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Autism. 2024 Mar;28(3):705-717. doi: 10.1177/13623613231181622. Epub 2023 Jul 3.
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 takiwātanga Māori (autistic Māori 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 takiwātanga Māori 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 Māori perspectives of autism and a need for more training and resources based upon a Māori world view and available in te reo Māori (the Māori language).
教育工作者的知识和态度会对进入包容性幼儿教育环境的自闭症儿童的经历产生重大影响。例如，来自代表性不足的族裔群体的自闭症儿童，如毛利族自闭症儿童，可能会面临额外的挑战，教育工作者需要考虑支持他们文化发展的方法。在本研究中，我们采访了12位近期在包容性幼儿教育环境中支持毛利族自闭症儿童的教育工作者。我们从访谈数据中构建了三个主题和七个子主题。我们发现，教育工作者对自闭症的理解大多符合神经多样性观点，即把自闭症视为一种差异，而非一种疾病。我们还发现神经多样性观点与毛利人对自闭症的观点存在相似之处，并且需要基于毛利世界观并以毛利语提供更多培训和资源。
