About this episode

The episode discusses Indigenous perspectives on autism with experts from First Nations backgrounds.

In this week’s episode, Nikita Austin (Wanaruah Nation), SPA's First Nations Lead, speaks with Dr Grant Bruno (Samson Cree Nation) from the University of Alberta in Canada, and Dr Samarra Toby (Gangulu, Northern Cheyenne, Australian South Sea Islander, Darumbal, Iman Nations) a GP and founder of the Native Academy of Space, Science and Innovation. They discuss Indigenous ways of understanding and experiencing autism, and centring Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing in practice and research. You can hear more from Dr Toby at the SPA Conference in Yugambeh | Gold Coast, 25-27 June 2026. Resources: Bruno et al. (2025). Decolonizing autism research: Integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Autism, 29(11), 2637-2643. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251382398 Bruno et al. (2025). Global Indigenous perspectives on autism and autism research: Colonialism, cultural insights and ways forward. Autism, 29(2), 275-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/136236132513183 SPA resources: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culturally Responsive Capability Framework: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/resource?resource=884 Reframing and repositioning Aboriginal and Torres…

People in this episode

Host: Nikita Austin

Guests: Dr Grant Bruno, Dr Samarra Toby

Topics covered

• First Nations perspectives
• autism
• Indigenous knowledge
• cultural insights
• research
• speech pathology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Alberta

Books & works: Decolonizing autism research: Integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, Global Indigenous perspectives on autism and autism research: Colonialism, cultural insights and ways forward

Places: Wanaruah Nation, Samson Cree Nation, Gangulu, Northern Cheyenne, Australian South Sea Islander, Darumbal, Iman Nations

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