Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Currently there is a severe lack of research on autism and Indigenous people in Canada. This scoping review explores this literature gap and assesses the same literature from an Indigenous perspective. Scoping reviews are an effective means to explore the literature in a specific area, in this case, autism and Indigenous people in Canada. We explored existing literature as it pertains to Indigenous populations and autism in Canada. To support this review, the Indigenous Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) was adapted to appraise the quality of literature. In total, there were a total of 212 articles identified of which 24 met the inclusion criteria: (1) some focus on autism, (2) a component specific to Indigenous people, and (3) specific to Canada. Of the 24 articles and reports, 15 were peer-reviewed and the rest considered grey literature. Most articles focused on program delivery with some literature using primary data (quantitative and/or qualitative). Overall, the quality of the research was appraised as poor, as determined by the QAT. Findings reaffirm the critical need for research that addresses autism in Indigenous communities within Canada and show the importance of having research done in full partnership with, or led by, Indigenous people.

Frozen in Time, a Focused Review of Autism Prevalence in Canadian Indigenous Communities

“…26 The severe lack of studies in Canadian indigenous autism was examined by University of Alberta researchers in a scoping review. 62 The research team was led by a university PhD candidate with membership in an indigenous community, a father to autistic children, while an indigenous autism advocacy group formed one of the research partners, rather a unique team in the context of Canadian research. The research is therefore viewed from an indigenous lens while the examined available autism literature represents nonindigenous or traditional research.…”