Between April and June, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences hosted a series of community conversations on autism as part of its assessment on autism. These conversations took place on Zoom and explored two key questions: How can services and programs better meet the needs of Autistic people? How can we promote inclusion of Autistic people?
Conversation dates:
- Manitoba/Saskatchewan: Thursday, April 22 at 12 pm EDT
- Autistic 2SLGBTQIA+: Friday, April 23 at 12 pm EDT
- British Columbia: Tuesday, April 27 at 2:30 pm EDT
- Black People: Thursday, April 29 at 5 pm EDT
- Québec: Friday, April 30 at 12 pm EDT
- Territories & Northern Communities: Friday, May 7 at 3:30 pm EDT
- Autistic Women: Saturday, May 1 at 12 pm EDT
- People of Colour / Racialized: Saturday, May 1 at 2:30 pm EDT
- Young Autistic Adults (18-29) : Monday, May 3 at 6:30 pm EDT
- Newcomers: Tuesday, May 4 at 5 pm EDT
- Ontario (Outside of GTA): Thursday, May 6 at 12 pm EDT
- Atlantic: Thursday, May 6 at 6 pm EDT
- Francophone: Friday, May 7 at 12 pm EDT
- Territories & Northern Communities: Friday, May 7 at 3:30 pm EDT
- Autistic Parents: Monday, May 10 at 6:30 pm EDT
- Indigenous People (Status and Non-Status First Nations, Inuit, Métis): Monday, May 10 at 12 pm EDT
- Alberta: Tuesday, May 11 at 2:30 pm EDT
- Ontario (GTA): Tuesday, May 11 at 7 pm EDT
- Non-Speaking Autistics / AAC Users: Wednesday, May 12 at 12 pm EDT
- Pan-Canadian Organizations: Thursday, May 13 at 12 pm EDT
- Pan-Canadian: Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 pm EDT
- Pan-Canadian: Friday, June 4 at 2:30 pm EDT
- Quebec: Saturday, June 5 at 2:30 pm EDT
Accessibility:
- Conversations were bilingual and translation services provided.
- Zoom supported common screen readers.
- Presentation slides were posted in the chat for participants using a screen reader.
- Closed captioning was available to those who needed it.
- Participants could provide input by speaking and writing.
Please contact us if you have questions or feedback at autism@cahs-acss.ca. Sessions were not recorded and the names of individuals and organizations that participate were not shared publicly.
This input was gathered as part of an assessment on autism that will consider scientific information and also be informed by a public engagement process. This assessment will help inform policy makers as they consider the development of a National Autism Strategy. The assessment will be available to the public in 2022.