Community Forum Guidance: Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander autistic peoples, autistic individuals with high and complex support needs, and their families/supporters

This guidance document provides researchers, service providers, and policy makers with a framework for meaningful and culturally safe engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander autistic peoples and their communities.

Why this guidance was developed

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with autism often face compounding disadvantage — at the intersection of disability and race, they are among the most underserved groups in Australia’s health and support systems. Research and service design frequently fails to engage these communities appropriately, resulting in approaches that are not culturally safe or contextually relevant.

This guidance was developed through consultation with community members, Elders, and researchers with lived expertise in both First Nations and autism contexts.

Key principles

• Community First: engagement should be led by and accountable to the communities themselves, not by external institutions
• Cultural safety: all engagement must be grounded in cultural safety frameworks appropriate to the communities involved
• Informed consent and data sovereignty: communities retain rights over how their knowledge and stories are used
• Relationship before research: sustained, trust-based relationships take precedence over project timelines

Who this is for

This resource is intended for researchers designing community engagement, practitioners working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients with autism, and organisations developing inclusive policy frameworks.