MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –
Source: Government of Canada – in French 1
The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of all persons with disabilities in Canada, including people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, and those who care for them.
September 26, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of all persons with disabilities in Canada, including people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, and those who care for them.
The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, tabled in Parliament today: Autism Framework in Canada (Framework). The Framework describes the principles and benchmark practices that will guide autism policy, programs and activities in Canada. It leverages the Government of Canada’s leadership role in advancing best practices to support autistic people of all ages, their families and caregivers.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has also launched the Autism Strategy in Canada(Strategy). The Strategy is a multi-year action plan that supports the federal government’s implementation of the Framework. It outlines short- and medium-term initiatives specific to the federal government and builds on existing programs and measures to address key priority areas. The Strategy will be updated regularly, based on the evolving needs and priorities of autistic people of all ages living in Canada.
The Framework and Strategy were developed by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group in collaboration with autistic people, their families, caregivers, provinces, territories, Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders. Implementation will require coordinated efforts from governments across Canada, as well as many partners, organizations and individuals whose work touches on autism initiatives. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to address the needs of autistic people in Canada.
Finally, today we officially launched the process of creating a National Autism Network. This Network is intended to bring together the skills and resources of organizations and stakeholders in the field of autism, including people with lived experience, in order to support the implementation of activities guided by the Framework and the Strategy. We invite eligible organizations to respond to the call for applications linked to the Network by November 25, 2024.
This sets out a vision to improve screening, diagnosis and services across Canada; strengthen economic inclusion; improve data collection, public health surveillance and research; increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance; and facilitate access to evidence-based autism resources and tools.
“Through this Framework and Strategy, our government is taking concrete steps to break down the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in Canada. In the spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us,’ we are working with the autism community to create a strategy that meets the diverse needs of the community, which will better support and equip autistic persons, their families and caregivers.”
The Honourable Kamal KheraMinister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that lasts throughout life. People with autism may communicate and connect with others differently, have differences in sensory processing, or focus intensely on certain interests or activities. People with autism may also have other physical, intellectual, learning, or mental health conditions that can create additional complexities and challenges.
It is estimated that 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 years have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in Canada. The Government of Canada is exploring options to measure and report on autism in adults living in Canada. This information will help build the evidence base needed to inform public health actions to improve the health and well-being of people with autism across the lifespan.
Since 2018, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has invested approximately $88 million in autism research. This research increases our understanding of autism and guides the development of innovative tools and more effective ways to support people on the autism spectrum and their families.
Budget 2021 provided an investment of $15.4 million over two years for PHAC to work collaboratively with provinces, territories, families and stakeholders to create an autism strategy.
In 2022, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences published aevaluation reporton autism in which she highlights gaps in knowledge about the needs and situation of autistic adults, particularly with regard to quality of life, daily activities, loneliness and mental health.
The Framework is aligned with other disability-related activities, such as the Action Plan for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (DIAP), which was presented on October 7, 2022. The DIAP is a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to disability inclusion that integrates disability considerations into government programs while identifying targeted investments in important areas to drive change.
The National Autism Network will be a not-for-profit organization, working independently from the Government of Canada to share expertise, knowledge and resources, supporting key autism priorities and providing a forum for ongoing engagement on federal policies and programs. The Network will work directly with provinces and territories on specific provincial/territorial initiatives and will coordinate and integrate autism investments, while bringing together the knowledge and experience of local autism organizations and partners, as well as the perspectives of people with lived experience of autism. It will also lead targeted national public awareness campaigns and provide sustainable, accessible and culturally relevant resources (available online and elsewhere) to support autistic people in Canada, their families and caregivers.
PHAC hosted two national autism conferences in November 2022 and August 2024. The first to bring together people from across Canada to identify potential short-, medium- and long-term priority actions for an autism strategy and the second to discuss the five priority areas of the Framework and the actions needed to advance them.
There Act respecting a federal framework relating to autism spectrum disorder received Royal Assent on March 30, 2023. This Act sets out a commitment to the development of a federal framework to support autistic people in Canada, as well as their families and caregivers.
Matthew KronbergPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Mark HollandMinister of Health343-552-5654
Media RelationsHealth Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada613-957-2983media@hc-sc.gc.ca
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.