Another step towards the implementation of a national autism strategy
Richmond – BC: Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. Estimates show that about 1 in 50 children and youth in Canada aged 1 to 17 years has been diagnosed with autism. The Government of Canada is committed to improving the health and well-being of Autistic Canadians of all ages and to supporting families and caregivers.
Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced up to $500,000 in funding for Autism Alliance of Canada to collaborate with the Pacific Autism Family Network and Autism Speaks Canada to outline the requirements to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a National Autism Network that will support the implementation of a national autism strategy.
The Government of Canada engaged with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, families, and other partners, including through the 2022 National Autism Conference and the Canadian Academy of Health Science’s autism assessment. During these consultations, the need for a national strategy that focuses on resource accessibility, research, training, and acceptance, and that responds to the diverse needs that exist within the Autistic population was expressed by many. The Network will help ensure that a national strategy accomplishes that.
The Network will work as an independent body to bring together autism organizations and partners, including individuals with lived and living experience, to share their skills, knowledge and resources to support key autism priorities and provide a forum for ongoing engagement of Autistic communities on federal policies and programs. The autism community is encouraged to share their thoughts on how they could best be represented on the Network through the online survey which is open now until August 4, 2023.
As part of the Government’s commitment to supporting Autistic Canadians and their families and caregivers, the Minister also announced $800,000 in additional funding to the Pacific Autism Family Network to manage the Autism and Intellectual Disability Knowledge Exchange Network Project through to March 2024. Funding for this project supports our ongoing commitment to Autism support in Canada.
“By supporting the National Autism Network, we are taking another step towards the creation of an inclusive and comprehensive national autism strategy. It is only by listening to and working with Autistic communities and relevant partners that we will create a strategy that responds to the diverse needs of Autistic people in Canada that focuses on accessibility, research, training, and acceptance.” – Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health
“In the spirit of “Nothing Without Us”, our government is committed to including persons with disabilities in the development of all our programs and services, especially ones that serve the disability community. Creating a National Autism Network will provide consistent and critical engagement from the autism community as we develop the national autism strategy.” – Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion