September 26, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the needs of all persons with disabilities in Canada, including people with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and those who care for them.

The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, tabled the Framework for Autism in Canada (Framework) in Parliament today. The Framework outlines principles and best practices to guide national autism policy, programs and activities in Canada. It leverages the Government of Canada’s leadership role to advance best practices that support Autistic people of all ages, their families and caregivers.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) also launched Canada’s Autism Strategy (Strategy). The Strategy is a multi-year action plan that supports federal implementation of the Framework. It outlines federal-specific short- and medium-term initiatives and builds on existing programs and measures to address key priority areas. The Strategy is intended to be updated on a regular basis, as the needs and priorities of Autistic people of all ages living in Canada evolve over time.

Through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial working group, these were developed collaboratively with Autistic people, their families, caregivers, provinces, territories, Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders. Implementation will require coordinated efforts across governments in Canada, as well as many partners, organizations, and individuals whose work touches on autism-related initiatives. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to advance the needs of Autistic people in Canada.

Lastly, we officially launched the process for the creation of a National Autism Network today. The Network is intended to bring together the skills and resources of autism organizations and stakeholders, including people with living experience, to support the implementation of activities guided by the Framework and Strategy. We invite eligible organizations to respond to the call for applications for the Network by November 25, 2024.

This sets out a vision to improve screening, diagnosis and services across Canada; strengthen economic inclusion; enhance data collection, public health surveillance and research; increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance; and facilitate access to evidence-informed autism resources and tools.