In 2020, Autism Alliance of Canada developed an English Language Guide based on research and discussions with members who have lived experience about language preferences in autism.
In November 2024, with funding from the federal government, the Alliance set out to create a French Language Guide, steered by conversations with French-speaking members and a francophone Working Committee.
– Dr. Jonathan Lai, Executive Director at the Alliance
– Krista Leitham, Membership Coordinator at the Alliance
– Michèle L. Hébert, CIHR HSIF Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alliance
– Liette Lanteigne, Executive Director, Autisme Péninsule acadienne
– Lili Plourde, Executive Director, Fédération québécoise de l’autisme
– Pascale Castonguay, Coordinator at Réseau national d’expertise en trouble du spectre de l’autisme (RNETSA)
– April MacAleese-Jay, Operations Manager at the Alliance
The French language Guide was updated with nearly 200 people participating in online or in-person discussions during Francophonie Week in March 2025 and the Leadership Summit in April 2025. The majority of participants were from Canada (89%), and 11% were from other countries, such as France, Haiti, and Morocco. These conversations and group discussions contributed to the development of the current version of the new bilingual English and French Guide.
Today, here we are, ready to contribute to strengthening diverse voices in autism. Without the commitment of our members, finding points of shared understanding in the diverse cultural communities across Canada would not be possible.
The Alliance now has three reference documents that offer recommendations on the use of language related to autism. These key documents fall along a continuum, ranging from advice to strong suggestions to verbatim interpretation. The three documents are:
- The Autism Language Guide is the most comprehensive document, offering recommendations on the use of desired language related to autism and warning against potentially offensive terms. The Guide serves as a reference for the general public.
- The Language Reference Guide for interpreters and translators. This document is intended for the translation and interpretation of written texts and oral speeches, specifying the verbatim language to use based on preferences, as well as terms that may be considered offensive in relation to autism.
- The Two-Page Language Tool, a two-page document, strongly encourages the use of desired language over terms that may be perceived as offensive in conferences, lectures, and everyday conversations.
