CALS2024 Community Showcase

Margaux Wosk, an Autistic self-taught designer, artist, entrepreneur, advocate, and activist, holds the position of Lower Mainland West Regional Director for BC People First. They also serve as a peer coach for emerging entrepreneurs. Operating under the artist pseudonym “Retrophiliac,” Margaux enjoys a substantial online following exceeding 74,000 across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

I am a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. My research interests focus on hot and cold Executive Functions, which help us manage information and achieve our goals in daily life, and their relationships with conversational skills in autistic and neurotypical adolescents. Apart from this, I am also interested in how different domains of EFs affect the quality of life of both autistic and neurotypical populations.

Maddy Dever (they/them) is a non-binary, wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury and an Autistic adult and parent of four children who are all also Autistic, living in rural Eastern Ontario in Canada. Maddy advocates with both provincial and federal governments for inclusion and acceptance of Autistic individuals and for Autistic people and all people with disabilities to have their own voice in policy decisions.

Maddy is a writer, speaker, podcaster and former member of the Ontario Autism Program Advisory Panel, and the Ontario Autism Program Implementation Working Group. Maddy is the President and founder of Autistic Bridge Inc, and is the co-Vice Chair of Autism Alliance of Canada (formerly known as CASDA), is on the Expert Hub Team for ECHO Ontario Autism and Family ECHO US, is an Autistic advocate and executive team member of Autism Care Network in the US, and is he Director of Policy for the Ontario Disability Coalition.

Maddy writes and shares their speaking engagements at autisticrambler.com

Grant Bruno Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) from and a registered member of Samson Cree Nation. He is a PhD candidate in Medical Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, and a father to autistic children. His PhD research explores the experiences of autism in First Nations communities.

IWK Health is dedicated to providing quality care to women, children, youth, and families in the Maritime provinces and beyond. Services are delivered through our Children’s Health program, Mental Health and Addictions program, and Women’s and Newborn Health. Across all three our approach is rooted in a collaborative model that integrates talented people with new technologies, research, training, and clinical excellence. We’re proud to provide the most complex levels of care in our region; we’re a strong advocate for the health of families; and we’re a global leader in research and knowledge sharing.

MissNatasha here! Mental Wellness Coach and Disability Advocate.

The mission to confidently promote creative healing, through Speaking engagements; Books, Mental Wellness workshops and 1 on 1 sessions.

Mother of two and Auntie to many. Happen to be authentically autistic among other wonderful things. Author of ‘Autistically Yours, One Neurodivergent Black Caribbean Canadian Women’s tale of triumph over Trauma.’ Encouraging Self Love; Resilience, and Authenticity!

Dr. Stephanie Ehret is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Trent. She is a critical criminologist, and her research examines ways in which the criminal legal system upholds and perpetuates ableist, gendered, raced, and classed social inequalities, and she explores principles and extralegal options for doing justice.

Mackenzie Salt (PhD) is an Autistic autism researcher and a postdoctoral fellow with Autism Alliance of Canada and McMaster University Autism Research Team (MacART). He is also a CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship Program alumnus.

Stephen Gentles (MSc, PhD) is a Research Consultant with Autism Alliance of Canada and Autism Speaks Canada, with a background in health information and health research methods. Among other autism-focussed research and policy work, he has contributed to developing several large provincial and national autism surveys for various organizations.

My name is Margaret and I am a fourth-year PhD candidate in Social Work at Carleton University. Most of my work is interested in supporting Autistic adult mental health, wellbeing, and inclusion. My current PhD project seeks to investigate Practitioners’ and Professionals’ barriers to and facilitators of providing Ottawa Autistic adults with mental health support with the Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative; and I work as a Researcher with the AIDAN Lab, as a Community Outreach Liaison for the Neuroinclusivity in Housing project. In the Past, I worked as a Research Assistant for the Bridging the Silos project and in the Oral Histories of Disability Rights Movement project.

Anna Katalifos is a research assistant for the Transforming Autism Care Consortium, a Quebec-based research network. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in neuroscience from McGill University. Her research interests include understanding experiences of autistic individuals and intersections with policy. Anna’s younger brother is autistic.

Susann Lagore is passionately interested in improving outcomes for individuals on the autism spectrum. She is the parent of a young adult diagnosed with autism and works at the Society for Autism Support and Services. Susann recently completed a PhD at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, where she used a design thinking approach to examine public transportation and the autism spectrum.

Joy, an award-winning neurodivergent designer and researcher, is a bilingual and multicultural Torontonian. With a background in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design, USA, and an MA from the Royal College of Art, UK, her work focuses on neurodivergent talents. She won the 2023 Helen Hamlyn Design Award for her inclusive design ‘We Are in This Together.’

Dr. Shane Lynch is a Registered Psychologist and Director of Innovation at the Sinneave Family Foundation. He has been working those who are Autistic and Neurodivergent for over 25 years. His areas of interest include helping individuals become more self-determined as well as identifying and overcoming barriers to success.

Kelly has a background in community health, mental health and health promotion. As the Outreach and Inclusion Manager at Autism Home Base, she is currently working towards building inclusion for autistic adults and their families within Durham Region and beyond.

Accessibility Institute is a key unit for accessibility leadership at Carleton University and is aligned with the university’s vision and the Strategic Integrated Plan.

Sonia is a researcher and project manager working at the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University. She is interested in finding ways to encourage a barrier-free society for Canadians through applied research.

Dr. Elyse Rosa is a Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Rosa is currently the scientific and evaluation lead on several initiatives, with a focus on evaluating methods of healthcare delivery and service primarily for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Surrey Place is a not-for-profit organization that serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and visual impairments in the Toronto region and Northwestern Ontario. As a trusted leader in the developmental services sector, we provide integrated services and inclusive support in a safe and welcoming environment. Surrey Place helps people learn new skills, gain self-confidence and reach their full potential.

Enactus operates globally across 1,000+ university campuses in 33 countries, with student teams creating sustainable social businesses and showcasing their impact in competitions.

​Enactus Laurier is dedicated to creating positive change in communities through its enterprises and transforming the lives of its team members.

We connect and mobilize Quebec’s strengths in autism research to improve quality of life for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

Giant Steps has stood at the forefront of autism and education for 40 years. Our intensive educational and therapeutic program, offered in both French and English to 113 students aged 4-21, is unique in Quebec, and has been replicated worldwide.

CanNRT empowers learners to become change agents in science and sectors where critical capacity is needed.

Our collaborative training environment supports sustainable and equitable pathways for Canadian early career researchers through multidisciplinary cross-sector learning, mentorship, and connectivity.

Autism Ontario is the province’s leading source of information and referral on autism, and one of the largest collective voices representing the autism community.

Dr. Lauren Tristani is the Research and Evaluation Specialist at Autism Ontario. Autism Ontario is dedicated to supporting the autistic community through advocacy, programs, and resources.