Autism Alliance of Canada is developing an exciting agenda for the 10th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit (CALS2024)! The CALS2024 program builds on core conversations that took place at CALS2023 and explores new directions under three themes: Inform, Implement and Innovate.
At the 9th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit (CALS2023), which took place in April 2023, Summit attendees participated in various group discussions to reflect on panel presentations and to exchange ideas with each other. Since then, Autism Alliance of Canada compiled those ideas into three community briefs, focusing on the topics of postsecondary education, international learnings for a national framework on autism, and considerations from Canada’s provinces and territories.
We are thrilled to share that the collection of community briefs from CALS2023 is now available to view and to share! These resources can be leveraged by advocates, policymakers, researchers, and community leaders, to inform their work and strengthen their advocacy. We invite you to click on the links below to view each community brief.
- What our Provinces and Territories need from a National Autism Strategy
- Postsecondary Education Supports
- International Learnings for Canada’s National Autism Strategy.
We invite all to explore the content of our community briefs to get a glimpse of the discussions that took place at CALS2023. We hope they inspire you to join us at CALS2024!
The strength behind Autism Alliance of Canada’s progress towards a National Autism Strategy is our collective voice. Priorities identified at the Summit help shape our advocacy and spark innovation across the country as we learn together.
For example, Alberta participants at CALS2023 began planning action around a recommendation arising out of the discussion on postsecondary education while still at the Summit.
I’m happy to report that following the Summit, Autism Alberta launched a postsecondary community of practice with our community members. If you take a look at our website, you’ll see our primary objective is to create a supportive and collaborative environment where people from the postsecondary sector can come together to improve education opportunities and experiences for Autistic and neurodivergent Albertans.
“The Summit allows us to work with community-identified priorities, as well as find concrete, practical solutions to address them,” says Executive Director of Autism Alliance of Canada, Dr. Jonathan Lai. “Our strategic plan is built around the Summit as the mechanism that allows us to convene, catalyze and form collaborations to tackle complex issues that Autistic people and their families face.”
Join us at CALS2024 from April 17-19 2024, in Ottawa or tune in via livestream! Together, we will inform, implement and innovate to ensure the full rights and a better future for Autistic people and their families in Canada.