The Blueprint for a National Autism Strategy was developed in March 2019 by Autism Alliance of Canada (formerly the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance—CASDA) as a policy brief to guide the federal government on how to lead a National Autism Strategy.

This policy brief provides a blueprint for how to move forward with federal leadership to improve the lives of Autistic people and their families.

The Blueprint for a National Autism Strategy is broken down into six key principles and 3 key areas of focus:

The six key principles of a National Autism Strategy, as outlined in the Blueprint:

1. Must have Autistic people at the forefront of the design: Nothing About Us Without Us.
2. Must be person-centered: Reflecting needs over a spectrum and throughout the lifespan.
3. Must be Inclusive of pan-Canadian stakeholders.
4. Must include a separate co-designed Indigenous approach.
5. Must be culturally responsive and appropriate, especially for vulnerable populations living in Canada
6. Must be reflective of different regional needs, especially northern, rural and remote communities.

The three key areas of focus of a National Autism Strategy, as outlined in the Blueprint:

1. Pan-Canadian collaboration: Federal leadership to guide and encourage coordinated and collective change through pan-Canadian knowledge exchange and dissemination.
2. Immediate action on priority areas of jurisdictional responsibility:
   • Affordability and access
   • Information
   • Employment
   • Housing
   • Research
3. An integrated cross-departmental federal government approach to autism that ensures action is coordinated across ministries, agencies, policies and programs.