The New Autism Parent Connection

             The words "your child has autism" can be a source of distress for any parent or guardian. Your child's future is uncertain, and you mourn a dream you may never realize.   Some parents are fortunate to have the support of their family and friends, but others do not. In addition to having just been diagnosed with autism, some may also be foreigners to Canada, having immigrated or as refugees. As a result, they must navigate the autism world and the school system on their own. The New Autism Parent Connection was created for these families.

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             Approximately one in 66 children between the ages of 5 and 17 has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A boy was four times more likely to be affected than a girl, with 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 165 girls affected. It's estimated that 56% of those diagnosed were under six years old, and more than 90% were identified by age 12. (Government of Canada, 2018)

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            The New Autism Parent Connection is a passion project to cultivate (build) a community of parents/guardians and caregivers helping each other to navigate the world of Autism – from diagnosis and beyond. A community ‘brings together a group of people who share a set of problems or a passion about a certain topic who want to deepen their knowledge and expertise of the topic.” (Wenger et al., 2002, p.4)