Welcome to National Autism News - CALS2024 Program Now Available! Participate in Ongoing Autism Initiatives
We are delighted to share that the preliminary program for the 10th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit is now available!
CALS2024 will take place at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa (ON) and will be streamed via Zoom. Most sessions will be in English with simultaneous translation in French. The schedule for both in-person and livestream options will follow Ottawa’s time zone, which is Eastern Standard Time (EST), GMT-4.
Please note that this preliminary program is subject to change and will be updated continuously up to CALS2024. Stay tuned as we announce more updates on our website!
View the CALS2024 Program at a Glance
We are happy to offer a livestream experience for attendees of the 10th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit wishing to join us remotely, thanks to the generous contribution of the Sinneave Family Foundation. Three reasons why livestream access is worth it:
1. It allows us to build our collective voice with people from all around the world.
2. It is a step forward in terms of accessibility, as each person is able to attend at their own pace, from the comfort of their preferred space.
3. It is a great way to save on costs related to travel and hotel stays.
Join us in our movement towards effective, impactful, implementation of the National Autism Strategy!
One of the most pressing challenges facing the Autistic community at large is lengthy wait times to access autism assessment and diagnosis across Canada.The National Child Autism Waitlist Initiative seeks to create standard wait time metrics so data can be collected in a consistent and unified way to support system improvement and federal investments to reduce lengthy wait times in Canada.If you are a parent or caregiver of a child who received an autism diagnosis in Canada, we invite you to participate in this research project! Findings from this project will help to develop clear and consistent definitions for measuring how long kids wait for an autism evaluation.To learn more about this initiative and how you can participate, we invite you to click on the button below.
Learn more about the National Child Autism Waitlist Initiative
Join a Focus Group for a Study Examining Barriers for Minority-language Children on the Autism Spectrum
Do Autistic children and their families who are minority-language speakers experience barriers in accessing healthcare services? Is there a difference in the quality of the healthcare services they receive?
The aim of this project is to capture the lived experiences of people on the spectrum and their families through focus groups. Partners include Autism Alliance of Canada, researchers from McGill University, Université de Hearst, and Dalhousie University, caregivers, Autistic adults, clinicians, and community groups.The project’s findings will inform decision-makers about the barriers to accessing healthcare and help increase equity in the healthcare system between majority and minority-language speakers across Canada.Who can participate?
Adults on the autism spectrum from a minority-language speaking family.
Caregivers of a child on the autism spectrum and a minority-language speaker.
Healthcare administrators with knowledge of the supports offered to children on the autism spectrum.
Community organizations working with children on the autism spectrum who are minority-language speakers.
Clinicians working with children on the autism spectrum who are minority-language speakers.
To participate contact language.research@autismalliance.ca
Learn more about the Minority Language Study
We are happy to share that the Disability Advisory Committee’s (DAC) 4th Annual Report has been published. Through Autism Alliance of Canada's Executive Director, Dr. Jonathan Lai, who serves as the Vice-chair of the DAC, we have been involved in advising the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on interpreting and administering tax measures for Canadians living with disabilities in a fair, transparent and accessible way.We invite you to view the report on the DAC’s webpage on Canada.ca or by clicking on the button below.
Discover the DAC’s 4th Annual Report
4th Annual Report Recommendations
Apply for a Graduate Level Research Assistant Position at Wilfred Laurier University Deadline: April 8, 2024
Wilfred Laurier University is currently seeking graduate level research assistants for a project that Autism Alliance of Canada supports, titled, "Engaging Communities in Developing Culturally Relevant Solutions to Autism Service Disparities."The overall goal of this project is to advance equity and best practices for providing culturally appropriate, community-relevant solutions to the unique challenges faced by newcomer and Indigenous parents in accessing and navigating autism-related care in Ontario.
The project is led by Drs. Janet McLaughlin and Margaret Schneider at the Laurier Autism Research Consortium (Wilfrid Laurier University). Co-investigators include Stephen Gentles (independent researcher), Nazilla Khanlou (York University), Julie Koudys (Brock University), Jonathan Lai (University of Toronto), Melody Morton Ninomiya (Laurier), and Jonathan Weiss (York University). Community Partners include: Autism Ontario, Autism Alliance of Canada, Autism Speaks Canada, and the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC). In addition, there are numerous collaborators, including an Indigenous advisory group.
While based at the Laurier Autism Research Consortium (Wilfrid Laurier University), this job can be completed remotely from any location, with part-time flexible hours dependent on the applicant's availability. If you are interested in applying, please e-mail LARC@wlu.ca to request more information. Candidates selected for an interview will be contacted by the end of April.
To request additional information about this posting send an email to LARC@wlu.ca with the subject line “Information Request: Graduate Level Research Assistant Position.”
Are you between 16 and 24? Become an advisor to the Government and the Prime Minister of Canada. Join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council and share your voice on behalf of youth in Canada.
On March 14, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, launched a campaign to recruit members for the next Prime Minister's Youth Council (PMYC)The PMYC is an engaged and diverse group of young people from across the country who offer non-partisan advice to the Government of Canada. The Council advises and provides youth perspectives on federal priorities to inform the government's approach to addressing key issues affecting youth in Canada.The perspective of young Autistic people matters. Click on the button below to apply!
Apply to Join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council