CALS2026 Member Showcase

Lara McLachlan is Founder of Neurodiversity Change Foundation, where she leads work to integrate lived experience and evidence into practice change across healthcare, employment, and leadership in Canada. She develops neuroaffirmative models that centre neurodivergent experience, evidence, and systems redesign to advance equity and meaningful systems change.

Jennie N. Burton is a PhD candidate in Education and certified K-12 educator with over 15 years of experience across classroom teaching, higher education, and policy research. Her scholarship explores how autism and inclusion are understood and enacted in schools, focusing on relationships between policy, organisational systems, and classroom practice.

Janeva Shahi is a second-year medical student at McGill University and an emerging researcher in neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on diagnostics and care in humanitarian settings. Her work aims to advance equity, global health, and medical education.

Caroline Jose is a neurodivergent mother of an ADHD daughter and an AuDHD son. She is the Vice-Chair of the Autism Resource Centre in Southeastern New brunswick. She leads a research program on the health of autistic adults and is also the organizator of the Neurodiversity Pride Day celebrations in Canada.

Stephanie Jull, PhD, is the VP of Programs & Training at Canucks Autism Network. In her role she oversees a large team of staff who deliver programming to over 10 000 Autistic individuals in BC each year. The training department develops and delivers both live and online courses for thousands of community members on an annual basis. She is also mom to two amazing kids on the autism spectrum.

Nicole Neil, Ph.D., RBA (Ont.),BCBA-D is the Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Education, Western University. Her work involves interdisciplinary approaches to improve access to care, address co-occurring OCD among people with autism, and support families through evidence-based intervention, policy research, and community-engaged partnerships.

Maya is a practicing speech-language pathologist (SLP) and PhD student in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Maya’s research focuses on neurodiversity-affirming communication support for autistic youth, and she continues to practice clinically while completing her PhD. Maya is a Data-to-Policy Fellow with the Autism Alliance of Canada.

Claudia is an accessibility and neuroinclusivity researcher and strategist committed to advancing disability justice. With a background in Health Sciences and Critical Disability Studies, she applies an interdisciplinary lens to her work and advisory roles. At IDEA-STEM, she leads research focused on dismantling systemic barriers and co-creating anti-ableist policies and practices across healthcare, education, and employment sectors. Claudia integrates her lived experience of neurodivergence and caregiving with expertise in community engagement and policy implementation to build equitable systems.

The National Autism Network (the Network) is a new, independent, community-led organization that brings together Autistic people, families, subject matter experts, and community partners to inform the federal government on how to carry out Canada’s Autism Strategy. The Network actively engages with Autistic people and their families to help shape community priorities and drive action to bring Canada’s Autism Strategy to life.

HOPE is a youth-led organization, founded by Toshani Sharma, to spread awareness and break stigma about neurological conditions like autism. It has had global impact by reaching 15 countries through its podcast channel, publishing Autism: Life Off Script and providing free inclusion toolkits for individuals all around the world.

NeuroAI is a Canadian healthtech startup founded in 2023 in Fredericton, NB. It improves neurodevelopmental care through AI and clinical expertise. Its platform, BRIDGES OS, connects families and providers via Clarity (for clinicians) and Engage (for caregivers). At its core, Allie, an AI coach, delivers personalized, data-driven support across care settin