Come cross something off your ‘to do’ list!

This workshop will provide an overview of Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), a funding program that families may be able to access here in Ontario to reduce financial strain.

A facilitator from Autism Ontario will provide tips and resources, as well as answer questions families may have. 

This workshop is suitable for parents and caregivers of autistic children and youth (under 18), as well as professionals working with this population. 

This webinar explores how many young autistic and neurodiverse people often feel overwhelmed by their environment and surroundings and how, as a result, they might become dysregulated.  

Together, we will aim to understand what might be happening in that moment for them and how, as a parent, a caregiver or a professional, we can adopt a non-judgmental and neuro-affirming approach that fosters autonomy, builds the capacity to advocate for oneself, and supports overall well-being.   

At the heart of our conversation lies the concept of neuro-affirmative care, a compassionate approach that embraces individual differences and nurtures autonomy.

Come join us at Little Canada! Little Canada celebrates everything "Canada" by going on a very unique and miniature journey to discover interesting sights and sounds. Best of all? You can also get little-ized!

This exclusive event is great for the entire family. A quiet space will be set up for families who need a sensory break. Accessible elevators are available on-site.

Please note that you can turn yourself into a small figurine! The cost to purchase your small figurine will be the responsibility of the family, along with the cost of parking/transit.  

Families will check-in with a Autism Ontario member the day of the event and will receive tickets after check-in.

For more information, please visit: https://little-canada.ca/

Limit 6 tickets per family. $5 per ticket. No refunds.

Registration opens April 16 at 12:00 PM.

Join Autism Ontario and Arcadia Earth for an exclusive, sensory-friendly 2-hour immersive journey through planet Earth.

Arcadia Earth is a multi-sensory journey that combines creative art installations and exciting technology to inspire visitors to take action towards a more sustainable future. This immersive experience showcases the beauty of our planet and the impact of human actions on the environment. Each exhibition is brought to life through immersive technology, animated by augmented reality, virtual reality, projection mapping, and interactive environments, where visitors will learn how their small lifestyle changes will impact the future of our planet.

For more information, please visit: https://www.arcadiaearth.ca/

Limit 6 tickets per family. $5 per ticket. No refunds.

 Registration opens April 17 at 12:00 PM.

Xenia Concerts is offering two adaptive performances at 11 AM and 2 PM for an inclusive and engaging experience. Mark your calendars for this special event!

11 AM concert: Adaptive performance

2 PM concert: Adaptive performance

CAMH is hosting a six-week program to learn and practice mindfulness skills for family caregivers, including those who provide care to people with disabilities, those who are aging, and those experiencing a challenging illness.

Add your voice to a conversation around public policy solutions to improve social and community care programs across the country.

Available On-Demand and on YouTube!

Dr. Christie Welch has been researching Burnout, Inertia, Meltdowns, and Shutdown (BIMS) from the perspectives of autistic children, youth, and adults.

In this webinar, Dr. Welch will share her research findings, including how her autistic co-researchers describe and experience BIMS and what they found helpful. We will also discuss the importance of including the lived autistic experience by using terms that come from the autistic community when refining the definition of BIMS. Finally, we'll explore the BIMS self-management tools that Dr. Welch's research team has under development.

This webinar is appropriate for autistic youth, adults, and their families, as well as professionals working with this population.

Click here to access additional resources created for this presentation: https://www.autismontario.com/node/982

Available On-Demand and on YouTube!

We invite you to join Danielle Nolan (MSW RSW) and Bethany Brewin (MSc OT) in a 3-part mini-series about mental health and well-being in childhood and adolescence.

This mini-series is intended to support parents and caregivers in understanding their child’s mental health and provide general strategies and information on what can be done at home to promote coping and improvements in well-being.

Autism Ontario webinars are an interactive, easy-to-understand resource for autistic people, parents, professionals, and educators.

Check out our website to see more events from Autism Ontario in your region!

Join us in supporting the 4th Annual Autism Heroes Endurance Challenge, spearheaded by Adam McEachern, a dedicated father and police officer.

Motivated by his son Caleb's journey with autism, Adam's mission is to raise funds and awareness for autism support services. Adam will be raising funds by running 66 miles in 24 hours.

Join in on the challenge or be a hero today and make a donation.

This April, a dedicated local mom is undertaking her 3rd annual "Running for Awareness" challenge, a 27-hour run to raise funds for York Region autism camp and spread awareness. Her son, Quinn, was diagnosed with autism at 27 months old. Autism Ontario provided essential support during their journey, guiding the family through services and resources.

The family is eagerly awaiting Quinn's first camp experience this summer!

Help support this amazing cause and families like theirs. Learn more and donate to the "Running for Awareness" fundraiser.

Autism Ontario is turning 50! Help us by donating $50 in honour of our 50th anniversary so we can continue our momentum for another 50 years!

Together with the autism community, we are committed to promoting inclusivity and support for autistic individuals and their families.

Let's continue to make a difference, together!

Join us each month to meet with other moms, female caregivers, and transgender/non-binary folks. This casual setting allows you to socialize, share your experiences, or simply sit back and listen.

Autism Ontario staff will facilitate group activities.

Join us each month to meet with other dads, male caregivers, and transgender/non-binary folks. This casual setting allows you to socialize, share your experiences, or simply sit back and listen.

Autism Ontario staff will facilitate group activities.

Registration opens on April 15 at 12:00 PM.

• What is a tiny home and where can you place them?
• Benefits of a tiny home and what to consider when making your plans.
• Adding a secondary laneway suite to your home.
• Manufactured homes and where can they be purchased. 

Friendly Connections is an interactive social service for individuals of all ages with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities run by ConnectABILITY.  

Friendly Connections is focused on helping their community overcome isolation. It aims to help improve the well-being of individuals through socializing and providing entertaining resources.   

Friendly Connections aims to connect with individuals across Canada through phone calls, video calls, emailing, messenger chats, and good old fashion mail. The organization mails letters, postcards, colouring sheets, activity sheets, stickers, and other fun goodies!

IAO is recruiting Ontario parents/guardians of children with disabilities for its inclusive education advocacy study.

If you wish to share your experience navigating the education system through an audio-recorded interview with the team, please contact jspecht@uwo.ca

Help the team at CAMH understand the experiences of school-age autistic children and their families while accessing virtual mental health supports during the pandemic.

Help the team at CAMH clinicians’ experiences supporting school-age autistic children and their families during the pandemic.

If you are the parent/guardian of a person aged 12 to 25 who receives pediatric rehabilitation or transitions services from an Ontario healthcare organization, you are being invited to participate in this study.

Our team wants to learn about youth readiness for the
transition to adult life. Youth transition readiness is about youth’s journeys into adulthood; it refers to youth having the behaviours and skills necessary to live their adult lives as part of their community.

Please contact Madhu at 1-800-363-2440 x3516 or mpinto@hollandbloorview.ca if you have any questions.

Toronto Pearson has partnered with Autism Ontario and Magnusmode to provide these resources to assist autistic and neurodiverse people and their caregivers.

Their interactive tool for autistic and neurodiverse people and their caregivers includes a checklist for each step while travelling through the airport.

My Toronto Pearson Activity Book

The activity book assists autistic and neurodiverse children and their caregivers in preparing for their upcoming trip, from arriving at the airport to boarding a plane.

Lanyards are available for passengers with invisible disabilities to help identify that they may need extra help or additional time while travelling.

Toronto Pearson is the first airport in Canada to offer the Sunflower Program for passengers with invisible disabilities. Invisible disabilities refer to a wider umbrella of spectrum of disabilities that are not immediately apparent, including sensory and medical disabilities.

First introduced by Gatwick airport in 2016, the Sunflower Lanyard Program provides a discreet way to signal that a passenger may need additional help or some extra time to complete a task while travelling through the airport.

Strong Minds Through Active Bodies is a free online course for students, professionals, and people supporting autistic youth and adults to access physical activity programs and spaces.

Participants who access this free course will learn about autism, neurodiversity, ableism, and autistic mental health.

They will have access to crowd-sourced creative ideas to improve accessibility to community programs and physical activity for autistic youth and adults. They will also have opportunities to contribute to a community of practice through discussion board posts and a written assignment.

Working at Autism Ontario means being part of a unique work culture that revolves around something we all believe in: ensuring autistic individuals are provided with the means to achieve a quality of life as respected members of society. 

Autism Ontario is an equal-opportunity employer committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, and actively encourages autistic individuals and those from all equity-seeking groups to apply.