During this information session, an Autism Ontario Service Navigator will lead you through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) reconciliation process.

This session will cover these topics:

• Tips and tricks on managing your funds.
• Eligible expense headings and subcategories.
• How to fill out the online expense form.

This session is intended for those in receipt of OAP Childhood Budget or One-Time Interim Funding.   

Join Autism Ontario and Karishma Mansingani, a Bollywood dance teacher, in this super fun and interactive event while celebrating Holi.

Holi is a festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life. It's a colourful festival with dancing, singing, and throwing powder paint and coloured water. Holi is also known as the "festival of colours."

This event is for all ages! Let's celebrate this colourful festival by wearing bright colours and learning a Bollywood dance routine that is all about Holi.

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), and professionals working with this population. 

Join us for Autism Ontario’s next Signature Series webinar, designed for parents, caregivers, and family members of autistic people.

In celebration of International Women's Day 2025, Stephanie Moeser will join Matt Ley to discuss how parents can help build self-advocacy skills in their daughters to make informed decisions. We will also have the opportunity to hear stories of success, challenges, and advice from two autistic women.

This presentation will highlight building self-advocacy skills in girls and women; however, the messaging and strategies are applicable to all genders.

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 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.

Registration opens February 27 at 12:00 pm

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.

Autistic teens are more likely to experience anxiety compared to their neurotypical peers, and as caregivers, you may be looking for strategies and ideas on how to best support your child. Join Danielle Nolan, RSW MSW, in creating a “Feel Better Box” to help them cope with these feelings of anxiety.

Participants will:

• Learn strategies to help autistic teens recognize and talk about their feelings.
• Identify items and ideas to create a ‘Feel Better Box’ to help teens deal with anxiety.

This workshop is appropriate for parents and caregivers of autistic teens aged 13-17, as well as for professionals working with this population.

At Autism Ontario, we recognize that receiving an autism diagnosis for your child may be both a meaningful and challenging experience.

We invite you to join our staff to discuss how to navigate services and supports that may be helpful for your family.

This workshop will provide information on:

• Learning more about autism. 
• Creating a support network.
• Accessing services and supports.
• Considering other social and recreational options.
• Accessing financial supports, including the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).

This information session is appropriate for parents and caregivers of autistic children over 5 years old, as well as professionals working with this population.

Registration opens February 26 at 9:00 am.

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 strives 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!

As Family Day approaches, we’d like to remind everyone of the incredible impact that communities and families can have when they work together to #CelebrateTheSpectrum!

Last year, in the small Township of Chapleau, École Sacré-Cœur student Jack St. Amand rallied his classmates and led his school towards its win of Autism Ontario’s province-wide School Giving Challenge!  

In the lead-up to World Autism Day on April 2^nd, and throughout the month of April, people across Ontario come together to Celebrate the Spectrum by flying a flag for autism and attending municipal flag raisings, among other fundraising and awareness-building efforts.  

Here are a few comments from Jack’s mother, Lina St-Amand:

“École Sacré-Cœur has always supported Autism Ontario by engaging the students in raising funds as well as making it a fun activity. Last year, Jack decided he wanted to go above and beyond by going door-to-door to bring awareness to what is autism and how it affects him.”

“Jack was so excited to get free pizza and to serve it to his friends. Thank you for the opportunity, and we can’t wait to raise more funds in 2025!”

Please visit our World Autism Day website to learn how you can involve the entire family in showing support for the autism community by flying a flag, participating in our school giving challenge, starting a third-party fundraiser, or purchasing #CelebratetheSpectrum swag in our virtual shop, where all proceeds go towards creating a supportive and inclusive Ontario for autism.

Visit our website: https://celebratethespectrum.com/

We look forward to welcoming you and the entire family to our #CelebratetheSpectrum efforts!

York University, in collaboration with Variety Village, invites you and your child to participate in an exciting and innovative research study!

We are evaluating Adapted Bingocize, a unique program that combines bingo with physical activity to promote movement and engagement in autistic children. You and your child will take part in 60-minute sessions, once a week for 6 weeks, enjoying bingo games while incorporating fun physical exercises!

By joining this study, your child will benefit from an active, supportive environment, and your participation will help us evaluate and refine this program for future participants.

You are eligible if: 

• You are the parent or caregiver of an autistic child aged 8-12.
• You live in the Greater Toronto Area.
• You use English as a primary language of communication.

Adapted Bingocize Research Study - Scarborough

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

Autism Ontario has recently launched a new series of Continuing Education Modules to support the learning of OAP Provider List members with FREE Continuing Education Units.

This series will include discipline-specific modules presented by subject matter experts and collaborative discussions from an interprofessional lens.

Note: Providers must be listed on the OAP Provider List in order to access the modules.

Learn more about the application and qualification requirements by clicking the button below

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.