Our Work

Below you’ll find some of the work we are doing to bring national attention to autism.

Key Publications

Our Current/Recent Projects

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Key Publications

Roadmap to a National Autism Strategy

Launched in Spring 2020, CASDA has developed a proposed timeline for the government to work together with the autism community to develop and implement a robust National Autism Strategy.
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Blueprint for a National Autism Strategy

Launched in Spring 2019, the Blueprint for a National Autism Strategy calls on the federal government to take a leadership role in supporting autistic Canadians, as well as their families and caregivers.
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FAQ Documents

Over the years CASDA has created a number of FAQs to answer your questions. Below you will see a comprehensive list of our published FAQs over the years and a link to learn more about how CASDA is working to answer your questions.

Click here to learn more.

May 2020 | September 2019 | April 2019

Autism Language Guide

Due to the large impact that language can have in shaping our understanding of the world around us, and how it influences how people perceive themselves and others, CASDA has published an Autism Language Guide. Based on the literature and the preference of the autistic members of CASDA,  we have created a Guide on Preferred Language for members of the autism community, ie. policymakers, researchers, health care workers and caregivers.

Click here to learn more about the Autism Language Guide.

Click here to download the Autism Language Guide.

Our Current/Recent Projects

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KBHN-CASDA Policy Working Groups

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Following the webinar, “Informing Canada’s Autism Strategy: Lessons From Across the Globe,” CASDA established Policy Working Groups. Lead by CASDA Board Members who co-chair this work with graduate student trainees, these Policy Working Groups are responsible for providing expert and stakeholder perspectives on a series of policy briefs. Each of the five groups – covering an area of the Blueprint, work to identify key Canadian policy levers to advance a National Autism Strategy. These Policy Working Groups were formed by an open call to CASDA members with lived experience along with key experts and KBHN members.

Click on the image below to expand the visual.

Dental Policy Stakeholder Engagement Report

Click here for summary notes from the 1st Forum with CSDH.

Employment Scan on Federal, Provincial and Territorial Service Systems for Autistic Canadians

CASDA is doing an employment scan of all employment programs/services that autistic people are eligible for across Canada. This is modelled after CACL’s 2019 employment scan for people with intellectual disabilities to identify gaps in current support. Starting August, we will be sending this questionnaire to both government representatives and organizations receiving funding from these programs.

Ready, Willing & Able

Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) is a national initiative active in 20 communities across Canada, with a branch in all 13 provinces and territories.
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Recommendations on a Distinct Indigenous ASD Strategy

In consultation.

CAOT Professional Issue Forum on Services for People on the Autism Spectrum

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Held on May 7th, 2020 at the first-ever CAOT 2020 Virtual National Conference, the Forum focused on the inconsistencies in health/social services available for autistic Canadians. Consisting of three Canadian experts/panellists presentations (Dr. Michele Hebert, Ms. Louise Burridge, and Dr. Jonathan Lai) and integrated periods of delegate engagement opportunities, attendees started to identify implementation steps for a national strategy stemming from this national engagement.

The primary objective of the Forum was to begin co-creating a shared occupational therapy vision focusing on four different communities: occupational therapists, autistic individuals, colleagues and policymakers. Attendees included 57 delegates, with over a quarter having lived experience.

Public Health Agency of Canada Correspondence

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CASDA has engaged in a number of correspondences and meetings with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) regarding the federal government’s National Autism Strategy. During these meetings, CASDA has expressed its commitment to holding the government accountable to its actions and reiterated our position as a partner with the federal government to guide the development of a National Autism Strategy in various ways.

Canadian Disability Coalition Leadership Group

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In Spring 2020, CASDA joined the Disability Coalition Leadership Group, a group of over 25 disability organizations across Canada. CASDA has since co-led various initiatives, including the data coordination initiative and drafted a pan-disability coalition proposal to the federal government.

Webinar Series

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With the postponement of the in-person annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit due to COVID-19 restrictions, a series of webinars were published between April-May in lieu of the Summit (now occurring in October virtually) which are freely available online. These spoke about CASDA’s direction and vision and engaged the Canadian Human Rights Commission, with whom CASDA is partnering to develop indicators for domestic monitoring of the United Nation’s Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this series, CASDA also engaged key political figures who have been championing a National Autism Strategy to gather their perspectives.
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