New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline - Ministry of Health

Part 8: Pacific peoples’ perspectives
There is no robust formal research to date that
addresses issues of ASD in a Pacific population
yet anecdotal evidence, expert opinion and
qualitative reports identify that ASD also affects
Pacific people. However, there is clear empirical
evidence that Pacific people have poorer health
status, are exposed to more risk factors for poor
health and experience barriers to accessing
services 416 .
The Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan 417
sets out the strategic direction and actions for
improving health outcomes for Pacific peoples
and reducing inequalities between Pacific and
non-Pacific peoples. Promoting participation
of Pacific peoples is a key priority, with a focus
on increasing access and quality of support
services for Pacific people as well as encouraging
community-based plans for disability issues. The
inclusion of the Pacific section in this guideline
is aligned with this priority.
chapter applies. World views of New Zealandborn
Pacific youth may be intrinsically different
as identity may include affiliation to both
western and traditional Pacific practices and
values. There also may be intergenerational
tensions that exist between traditional and
youth cultures.
There is no formal research to date that
addresses issues of ASD in a Pacific population
and, in line with mainstream epidemiological
research, the incidence and prevalence of ASD
in the Pacific population within New Zealand
is unknown. Research on general disability and
Pacific people living in New Zealand estimates
that one in seven (or 28,100) Pacific people
has a disability, of which 21% are children.
The research report also estimates that 72%
of Pacific people with disability live in the
most socioeconomically deprived areas of
New Zealand 420 .
Part 8
Due to migration, 6.9% of New Zealand’s total
population is of Pacific ethnicity (or 265,974
people) 418 . The 2006 New Zealand Census
reports that 131,103 of the Pacific population
(almost half) are Samoan, followed by Cook
Island Mäori (58,008), Tongan (50,481), Niuean
(22,476), Fijian (9864), Tokelauan (6819) and
Tuvaluan (2628). The majority of this population
was born in New Zealand with about twothirds
of the population located in the Auckland
region 418 . The Pacific population is a very
youthful population with the 0 to 14 year old age
group accounting for 37.7% of the entire Pacific
population. Young Pacific people are also more
likely to belong to more than one ethnic group.
This part of the New Zealand ASD Guideline
provides a broad overview of issues, using a
pan-Pacific approach. It is important, however,
to recognise and acknowledge the cultural
diversity between and within Pacific cultures –
each nation has its own specific set of cultural
beliefs, customs, values and traditions. The
status, authority, tradition, obligations and
power structures are different for each group 419 .
Moreover, the level of acculturation of a Pacific
person will determine the extent to which this
The recommendations contained in this section
are derived from public reports, guidelines and
published statistics and consultation through
a fono.
New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline 217