About Us

Autism Alliance of Canada is a national not-for-profit composed of over 600 members, including Autistic persons, organization leaders, researchers, policy makers, service providers, and persons with lived experience, working together for the rights of Autistic people and their families.

We address priority issues that Autistic persons and their loved ones face across the lifespan. We do this by facilitating dialogue, advancing research, and working with governments to develop and implement a National Autism Strategy.

Our Vision:

Autistic people and their families, exercising their full rights and realizing their full potential.

Our Mission:

Autism Alliance of Canada addresses priority issues that Autistic persons and their loved ones face across the lifespan.

We do this by facilitating dialogue, advancing research, and working with governments to develop and implement a National Autism Strategy.

Principals:

  • Respect and learn from each other.
  • Share leadership and meaningfully including persons with lived experience.
  • Add value to the neurodevelopmental and broader disability community.
  • Ensure equity in representation and acknowledging intersectionality.
  • Encourage diversity of thought and ongoing dialogue.

Our Work

Autism Alliance of Canada harnesses the power of collective impact to generate and support community-driven innovation. Our work drives change at a pan-Canadian level as we mobilize different sectors and governments to address the diverse issues facing Autistic people across the lifespan. 

Our History

Autism Alliance of Canada (formerly Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA)) was formed in July 2007, shortly after the Senate Committee Report “Pay Now or Pay Later: Autism Families in Crisis.” During this time, the federal government sent a clear message to the Autistic and autism communities: We need to work together with a unified voice. The community responded by forming Autism Alliance of Canada. The founding members of Autism Alliance of Canada all believed that there was more the federal government could do for autism. Together, we could make this change happen. We agreed that this country needed a National Autism Strategy.

Since then, the organization and membership has grown exponentially and continues to play an important role in guiding the development and implementation of a National Autism Strategy to create systemic change for Autistic Canadians and their loved ones.

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Our Alliance has grown in number and impact since 2007. Autism Alliance of Canada’s organizational member agencies account for more than $400 million in revenue, and in turn, contributions to their communities. (This is based on revenue data from 68% of our member organizations which yielded a revenue of $407,771,572 as of May 2020).

The National Autism Strategy, which is aimed at improving outcomes for autistic Canadians and their families, will enhance these contributions to Canada’s economic and social strength. We always welcome new members as we support the government in implementing the National Autism Strategy.

Have a question about Autism Alliance of Canada’s stance on an issue? Click here to view all the FAQs that Autism Alliance of Canada has published over the years.

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What Autism Alliance of Canada wants to see in a National Autism Strategy?

The Goal: An Impactful, Measurable, Sustainable National Autism Strategy

In 2019, the development of a National Autism Strategy was tasked to the Minister of Health, Minister Patty Hajdu and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Minister Carla Qualtrough. Autism Alliance of Canada’s role has evolved to work with government and to mobilize experts from across the country to develop a robust National Autism Strategy that ensures that all Autistic people in Canada have full and equal access to the resources they require to achieve their full potential. A National Autism Strategy should have a clear and meaningful vision considering the whole lifespan and range of needs of Autistic people.

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The government’s commitment to a NAS has given the autism community hope, but the lack of detail to date also raised some concern that the strategy might not be robust or could be just an enhancement of existing programs and approaches. Autism Alliance of Canada and the whole autism community are ready to work with government to find innovative, transformation approaches to ensure the NAS is more than a collection of new or slightly enhanced program funding.
A National Autism Strategy is a means to align policy, programs and services with that vision. The process is the product.
The way a National Autism Strategy is designed, the way it is implemented, and the way it drives action at provincial and community levels, and the way Autistic Canadians are involved at every stage are essential pieces of success.

Why Do We Need a National Autism Strategy?

Autism is the most common and fastest-growing neurodevelopmental condition in Canada, affecting 1 in 66 Canadians aged 5-17 and an estimated 500,000 people and their families nationwide. Without appropriate supports that fit their needs, Autistic people and their families see drastically worse health, education, employment and quality of life outcomes. These effects ripple throughout their communities. We need to do better. 

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We need a strategy that drives real action to make sure all autistic Canadians and their families have full and equitable access to the resources they need across a lifespan where and when they need them. A National Autism Strategy should identify the full range of needs of the community, across Canada. We need a wide range of policymakers and community stakeholders working together to get positive results.

Why Now?

The Autistic and autism communities cannot afford to wait any longer. Families are being pushed to the breaking point. Autistic people living in Canada have a right to equal access to health care and education that meets their needs. Autistic people in this country have a right to participate fully in society. In April 2019, we launched a revitalized campaign for a National Autism Strategy with a Blueprint, followed by the Roadmap in March 2020. These documents outline areas for federal focus and delineate a potential timeline for the government to work together with the Autistic and autism communities in Canada to develop a National Autism Strategy.

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Leading up to the federal elections in fall 2019, Autism Alliance of Canada called upon all federal parties to commit to a National ASD Strategy that delivers on the vision of this Blueprint. Since then, Prime Minister Trudeau announced on December 9th, 2019 his support of the development and implementation of a National Autism Strategy.