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Autism Alliance of Canada commends the release of Canada’s first Autism Strategy as a critical milestone in acknowledging the need to include Autistic people and their families in Canadian society and address the significant challenges they face.
While this marks a step forward, the Strategy falls short of tangible actions needed for Autistic people and their families to experience real, lasting change. The government must act swiftly to translate the Strategy into meaningful on-the-ground support and resources.
“Autism Alliance of Canada has been calling for a comprehensive—and viable—Autism Strategy since 2007. Today, we saw an Autism Strategy that provides high-level direction but lacks the resources needed to address key issues today. Our members have expressed concerns about the amount of time it has taken the government to reach this point and the absence of a direct link between the Strategy and real-world outcomes for Autistic Canadians creates additional apprehensions.”
A Journey of Commitment and Progress
Our path to the Autism Strategy has been marked by persistent advocacy and commitment from our members and allies. The journey began with the 2007 Senate report highlighting the need for structured services to support Autistic people and their families. This was followed by key projects such as National Needs Assessment, Ready, Willing and Able and reports like the Blueprint for a National Autism Strategy in 2019 and the Roadmap towards a National Autism Strategy in 2020, along with a Policy Compendium, laying the groundwork for a national strategy.
The passage of Bill S-203, which mandated a timeline to develop a Framework for Autism, was another crucial step. Now, 5 years after the 2019 commitment to develop an Autism Strategy, we have heard that the real change Autistic Canadians and their families have asked for will happen after the “implementation” phase. To deliver on its vision “A Canada where Autistic people and their families are safe, included, accepted and supported in a way that leads to an improved quality of life”, long-term political will and financial commitments will be required.
Opportunities for Change: Strengths of the Strategy
The government’s commitment to the creation and implementation of the Autism Strategy offers a significant opportunity to champion change for Autistic people and their families.
- An Autism Strategy with a Bold, Aspirational Vision: Having a dedicated Strategy and high aspirations marks a critical step forward, ensuring that the needs of Autistic people and their families are recognized at the federal level.
- A Recognition of the Role of Lived Experience: Through the creation of the National Autism Network, the government has proposed a platform for engaging with the community, keeping Autistic people’s needs at the forefront of Canadian policy. This provides a foundation for ongoing dialogue and action, ensuring that the government remains connected to community perspectives and needs. We hope that any new infrastructure builds on existing community efforts and be given the tools to address deep systemic challenges.
- A Commitment to Work with Provinces and Territories: The federal government has signaled a willingness to convene provincial and territorial leadership through a working group. This will create opportunities to tackle jurisdictional challenges and ensure equitable service delivery across Canada. However, to secure full provincial and territorial buy-in, clear incentives must be provided to facilitate participation. This effort is essential to closing service gaps and building a cohesive, unified approach to autism care and support.
- A Commitment to Integrating an Autism Lens Across Some Other Federal Strategies: A key strength of the strategy is the government’s pledge to integrate the priorities of Autistic people and their families into other federal initiatives, such as the Disability Inclusion Action Plan and the National Housing Strategy. This ensures that the unique needs of this community are not overlooked in broader government policies and that they benefit from existing and future programs designed to support all people with disabilities.
- A Commitment to Continuous Improvement: The government has stated that the Strategy is designed as an evolving document, allowing for continuous improvement and refinement as we learn more about its impact. Real progress will require continued leadership and accountability from the federal government to ensure long-term, impactful change.
The Critical Need for Sustained Political Commitment at Every Level
As previously discussed in our editorial, we believe an Autism Strategy should aim to increase capacity that will directly improve the health and wellbeing of Autistic people and their families. This will require strong collaboration between the federal government and provincial-territorial counterparts, and with Indigenous nations. Guided by cross-ministerial frameworks, concrete regional action plans will be needed to go along with this strategy. Only through coordinated efforts can the unique challenges on the ground be addressed, ensuring that the perspective of Autistic people and their families are not only heard but acted upon. This collaboration is pivotal to delivering meaningful change that reflects the needs of the community.
Opportunities for Improvement
As the national organization that has been a long-time advocate for such a strategy, we have also identified a number of gaps that still exist and are committed to continue to work alongside the government to build on the work to date.
“We were hoping for more direct actions to tackle critical issues like reducing wait times for children’s diagnoses, creating timely pathways for adult diagnosis, and ensuring families can access supports when they need them. Families need help so they can care for their loved ones, with solutions that ensure children are included and thriving in childcare and education, and that employers are empowered to hire and support Autistic adults. These are the real, urgent changes Autistic people and their families need.”
The current Strategy has gaps in several areas:
- No Dedicated Funding with the Announcement: There are no financial commitments to expand or improve autism services and supports. Without targeted funding in this budget cycle, the strategy will remain empty.
- Lack of Incentives for Provincial and Territorial Engagement: There are no clear incentives for provinces and territories to address gaps in health, social and education systems. Without these mechanisms, adoption of best practices are unlikely, leaving disparities in service delivery unaddressed and limiting the strategy’s full potential.
- Lack of Benchmarks: The strategy lacks specific benchmarks and metrics to track progress and hold the system accountable for real improvements in the lives of Autistic people and their families. Key areas such as equitable access to services, meaningful employment, inclusive housing, and education require concrete benchmarks and detailed outcomes to demonstrate success.
- Missing Policy Actions to Address Challenges in Accessing Diagnosis and Services: The strategy is missing direct policy actions that address significant gaps in service delivery – including the reduction of lengthy wait times for pediatric diagnosis or pathways for adult diagnosis and accessing services and supports throughout the lifespan, particularly in rural and remote regions.
- Lack of System Capacity Building: There is a lack of initiatives aimed at strengthening capacity within health, education, social and justice systems.
- Lack of Direct Support to Community Based Programming: Community organizations are shouldering the burden of filling critical service gaps, yet the strategy fails to provide direct support to these essential frontline groups. Without bolstering these on-the-ground efforts, the strategy risks leaving significant needs unmet.
- Lack of Caregiving Support: Without policy addressing caregiving support, many families continue to struggle to balance work, personal responsibilities, and the complex needs of their loved ones.
- Lack of Mental Health Support for Autistic Adults: Mental health services for Autistic adults are underdeveloped, with limited access to tailored care. Strengthening these supports is essential to improving the well-being and quality of life for Autistic adults nationwide.
Moving Forward: Help Us Drive the Next Steps
“Our members, along with many others across the country, are dedicated to creating a national strategy that will positively impact the lives of the over one million Autistics in Canada and their families. We have laid the groundwork for the government, but there is much more work to do. This continues to be a marathon rather than a sprint, but we’ve proven to have great endurance in our advocacy efforts and we will continue to push for real, profound change on the issues that matter most.”
The government describes the National Autism Strategy as a document that is meant to evolve over time. So this announcement is not the final destination but rather a step in an ongoing process. We must push for timely and effective implementation, leveraging our members’ long-standing and extensive work in communities across the country.
Autism Alliance of Canada is dedicated to working alongside the government and the autism community to strengthen the Strategy and ensure its implementation plan is comprehensive and effective.
Our work is far from done. We will continue to advocate for the necessary changes to bring the Strategy’s full potential to life and create positive, lasting impact for Autistic people and their families.
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