Autism Alliance of Canada and our members across the country affirm the inherent dignity, equal worth, and right to life of Autistic people and all persons with disabilities, as protected under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
By ratifying this Convention, Canada committed to uphold its principles in law and public policy. Article 10 affirms the inherent right to life of persons with disabilities and requires State Parties (i.e. countries) to take all necessary measures to ensure the effective enjoyment of this right on an equal basis with others. Article 19 recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community with access to the supports necessary to exercise that right.
In March 2025, the Committee responsible for monitoring the UN Convention formally examined Canada’s compliance. The Committee recommended that Canada repeal the provisions of its Medical Assistance in Dying regime that allow persons with disabilities who are not at end-of-life to access MAiD (United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2025). This recommendation comes from the international treaty body responsible for overseeing Canada’s obligations under the Convention.
Autism Alliance of Canada is deeply concerned about the potential expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying to individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. The concerns raised by the United Nations Committee underscore the need for Canada to ensure that disability rights, equality, and the protection of life remain central to public policy.
Autistic people frequently experience co-occurring mental health conditions while also facing systemic barriers to care and inclusion (Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, 2022; Lai et al., 2019; Weiss et al., 2018). Research indicates that approximately 40 to 70 percent of Autistic people experience significant mental health challenges during their lifetime, including depression and anxiety (Kent, Rachel & Simonoff, Emily, 2017; Lugnegård et al., 2011; Pezzimenti et al., 2019). Studies also show that Autistic adults experience substantially higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population (Lai et al., 2023).
At the same time, access to autism informed mental health care remains extremely limited across Canada. Long wait times for services, limited numbers of clinicians trained in autism informed care, gaps in housing, education, and employment supports, and inadequate disability income programs continue to affect quality of life for many Autistic Canadians.
Health Canada reporting shows that in 2024, almost 23,000 Canadians requested MAiD, and over 16,000 received it (Health Canada, 2025). That same year, the Canadian Mental Health Association found that 2.5 million people in Canada could not get the mental health care they needed (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2024). The structural barriers that contribute to widespread ongoing and unaddressed mental health challenges must be addressed to allow living with dignity rather than considering a premature death.
Autistic Canadians deserve equitable access to care, recovery, and full community inclusion. Public systems must respond to distress with support and opportunity, not assisted death in the absence of adequate supports. Canada’s priority should be to strengthen systems and improve quality of life, including through the implementation of Canada’s Autism Strategy, rather than expanding pathways to end of life.
Autism Alliance of Canada therefore calls on Parliament to permanently exclude mental illness as a sole underlying condition for MAiD eligibility and to invest in mental health services, disability supports, accessible housing, inclusive education, and inclusive communities. Autistic people and all persons with disabilities deserve access to the support they need to live with dignity.
References
Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. (2022). Autism in Canada: Considerations for future public policy development : weaving together evidence and lived experience. Ottawa (ON): The Oversight Panel on the Assessment on Autism, CAHS. https://cahs-acss.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CAHS-Autism-in-Canada-Considerations-for-future-public-policy-development.pdf
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2024). The state of mental health in Canada 2024. Canadian Mental Health Association. https://cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CMHA-State-of-Mental-Health-2024-report.pdf
Health Canada. (2025). Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada, 2024 [Report on plans and priorities]. Health Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2024.html
Kent, Rachel & Simonoff, Emily. (2017). Prevalence of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders. In Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (pp. 5–32). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805122-1.00002-8
Lai, M.-C., Kassee, C., Besney, R., Bonato, S., Hull, L., Mandy, W., Szatmari, P., & Ameis, S. H. (2019). Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(10), 819–829. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30289-5
Lai, M.-C., Saunders, N. R., Huang, A., Artani, A., Wilton, A. S., Zaheer, J., Ameis, S. H., Brown, H. K., & Lunsky, Y. (2023). Self-Harm Events and Suicide Deaths Among Autistic Individuals in Ontario, Canada. JAMA Network Open, 6(8), e2327415. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.27415
Lugnegård, T., Hallerbäck, M. U., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Psychiatric comorbidity in young adults with a clinical diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(5), 1910–1917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2011.03.025
Pezzimenti, F., Han, G. T., Vasa, R. A., & Gotham, K. (2019). Depression in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 28(3), 397–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.009
United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (2025). Concluding observations on the combined second and third periodic reports of Canada. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=b42BDT6erEyAEiSrxhA6LuzsUeK2bT4UvtmeJ%2BmVzKc3bpKKtlO6J66IFWtjwHsbJk8ts5LoRCgA1VJMQbr%2FAQ%3D%3D
Weiss, J. A., Isaacs, B., Diepstra, H., Wilton, A. S., Brown, H. K., McGarry, C., & Lunsky, Y. (2018). Health Concerns and Health Service Utilization in a Population Cohort of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3292-0