Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect)’s Post

Reflections on connecting with the Inclusion Langley Society community 🩵 Inclusion Langley provides services that improve quality of life for children with developmental or support needs and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder. The organization received a Community Engagement Grant from BC’s Ministry of Children & Family Development to support the engagement of their community in discussions around creating a better network of services and supports for children and youth with disabilities or support needs and their families. Roots & Rivers was engaged to design and facilitate community engagement sessions with children, youth, caregivers, and service providers. Team members Janani Ravikularam and Kareen Wong created spaces for accessible engagement where participants felt comfortable sharing meaningful insights into their nuanced experiences with services and supports for children and youth with disabilities or support needs. The team also supported the Inclusion Langley team with analysis of input they collected through a survey and community engagement sessions hosted by their team in Chinese and Korean. What we heard from the engagement was synthesized into a clear, plain language report which was shared back to the community and the Ministry of Child, Youth & Family Development to contribute to the design of future systems. Our gratitude goes out to Jenilee Woods, the team at Inclusion Langley and to all the community members and service providers who contributed to this project🩵

Imagine🌱🌱 Imagine a place where you can connect with others who understand the stress and stigma of parental substance use. Imagine feeling empowered to understand and even share your story with less shame and more hope. Image collectively creating the changes you wish to experience with peers who are just as eager. This is Starling’s Peer Mentorship program, a free program for Canadian youth/young adults where you take part in workshops on stress, stigma, human rights, and storytelling to help you discover and own your story, your leadership, whether it is in your home, school, work, or greater society. Who’s it for? 🌱 Canadians 18+ with experience with the stress and stigma of a parent’s substance use 🌱are able to commit 2 hours per week for 8 weeks 🌱 are interested and have the emotional capacity to listen to the stories of others and share parts of their story 🌱are eager to see change in supports for youth and want to be a part of this change Link in bio to fill out our fall cohort form, where a starlings volunteer will get back to you to book a virtual meet and greet, answer your questions/concerns, and help you decide if this is a good fit for you. https://lnkd.in/grR4vp55 #youthmentalhealth #cdnyouth #yycmentalhealth #yegmentalhealth #buildthemup #nothingaboutuswithoutus

It was on the final few pages of Long Yarn Short that my 4-year-old predictably came into our room, "I'm not sleepy' for the 7th night this week. Instead of shuttling her off to bed or getting exasperated, I put my book down. She climbed up on my chest, and I slowed my breath to slow hers. I held her tight as the reality of the system and Vanessa's experience washed over me. It is utterly horrifying and beggars belief to understand the system chose to separate rather than support families. This quote echos in my mind “If something can be fixed with money, don't remove the child”. In this book, Vanessa transforms her lived experience into lived expertise, breaking down the system from within and articulating a better future. This changed my understanding of First Nations families - their trauma and their strength. To change the outcome, the system must change. Disabled mothers, some of whom are also Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, face a heightened risk of violence, discrimination and child removal. Particularly women with intellectual disabilities. This is a must-read for those working towards change for inclusion. #LongYarnShort #DisabilityLeadership #MostlyUnlearning #InclusiveDesign

Symbols and images matter!  ♾️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️♾️ Symbols and images have histories. While the multi-colored puzzle pieces were meant to bring awareness to Autism, how it was done was based in the idea that there is something pieced apart, broken, and imperfect about the Autistic mind and Autistic human experience. There are also negative ties to organizations that are focused on curing Autism because they see it as something making humans less than in our society rather than seeing them as valued members and natural part of diversity.  ♾️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️♾️ Autistic self-advocates have created amazing new symbols and images. These creations continue even today! For right now, the symbols that are most accepted by the Autistic community are the infinity symbol. The gold infinity represents the Autistic community and the rainbow infinity represents the neurodivergent community.  ♾️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️♾️ We must listen to lived experience and follow the lead of the Autistic community. Their voices should be amplified and their needs should be validated.  #Autism #Autistic #AutismAcceptance #AutismEmpowerment #AutismAppreciation #AutismMonth #AutisticMonth #Inclusion #Accessibility #Neuroaffirming #MontcoPa #MontcoLGBTBusinessCouncil #LGBTBusinessCouncil #BuildingCommunity #MontcoProud #Visibility #Neurodivergent #HumanDiversity

Ageism affects everyone on earth. It has serious consequences and must be addressed but we need all hands on deck. Please join us for this webinar to learn how you can help combat and eliminate ageism .

Today is Autistic Pride Day! As we celebrate this important day, let’s take a moment to honor and embrace the unique strengths, talents, and perspectives of autistic individuals. Autistic Pride Day is a time to recognize the contributions of autistic people and to promote acceptance, inclusion, and understanding. It’s crucial to move beyond awareness and into acceptance, creating environments where neurodiversity is valued and celebrated. In the workplace and beyond, let’s ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and succeed. To all the autistic individuals out there: your voices, insights, and experiences enrich our world. Let’s continue to advocate for a society where everyone is respected and appreciated for who they are. #AutisticPrideDay #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #Acceptance #StrengthInDiversity

Ageism affects us all, and it’s time to take action! This engaging webinar will feature expert speakers discussing the impact of ageism in our communities and practical strategies to combat it. 🗓️ October 10th, 2024 🕒 11:00AM ET 🔗 https://loom.ly/tfsvsUg Let’s work together to create a more inclusive society for people of all ages! 💪 #EliminateAgeism

Today's the day!!! Australia's first National Autism Strategy has been released — a historic and vital step forward for autistic and neurodivergent inclusion across the country. It was both an honour and a profound responsibility to contribute to the development of this Strategy and the first Action Plan as part of one of the Working Groups. Without question, it’s the most important thing I’ve ever been part of and a career highlight I will carry with me forever. I’m still working through the full Strategy and Action Plan, but I’m already encouraged and excited to see strong commitments from the Federal Government, including funding to support its implementation. This is a significant milestone for our community, and I’m hopeful it will lead to real, positive change. I’ve always believed that autistic and neurodivergent minds hold the keys to unlocking solutions to some of the world's most complex challenges. I hope this Strategy ensures that all the incredible minds in our community are supported to reach their full potential — because the world cannot afford to let them down. To read the Strategy and Action Plan you can take a look here: https://lnkd.in/g5gDfPGR Now the work begins <3 Sofia Viskas Neale Timothy Watson Jenny Karavolos GAICD Department of Social Services (DSS) #NationalAutismStrategy #Inclusion #Neurodiversity #PolicyChange #Advocacy #AutismInclusion #StrengthsBasedApproach #PeerSupport #AutisticSocialEntrepreneurship

How to avoid the scarcity trap ⬇️ The disabilities community encounters significant obstacles in accessing quality healthcare. Now is the time to advocate for policy changes that enhance resources! In today’s episode of Parenting Impossible, I emphasize the importance of building community to accelerate progress, with topics of: ✨ How to shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset when setting goals ✨ Effective individualized planning for those with disabilities ✨ The value of education, online resources, and mindfulness in creating a supportive network 🎙️ Come join the conversation here and let’s thrive together: https://lnkd.in/eabyqH9c How do you cultivate powerful communities to initiate change?

Programs designed to help rural Americans and people with disabilities helped me find an excellent university, supported me through my education, and gave me guidance as friends and loved ones and a parent passed away. All of those people and their work fall under the larger umbrella of DEI initiatives, and attacks on those programs are attacks on my — and others who needed that support — participation in the professional world. When my dad became a homemaker, my mother went back to work and spent long hours supporting our family. She worked her way up to Professor and Department Chair, gaining respect from those that viewed her previously-taken parental leave as something that should disqualify her years of experience. Professional attacks on the participation of those in non-traditional families in our workplaces are hurtful to all of us, whether we expect to raise a non-traditional family or were raised in one (whether it’s a same-sex couple, a single parent, a father acting as a homemaker, or however you choose to live your life). I bring up these two points because they — DEI Programs and non-traditional employees, like mothers — are explicitly condemned in Project 2025, which I’ve linked below. It’s quite long (almost 1,000 pages), but I encourage you to look over sections relevant to you to better understand the changes that are planned to happen to your professional and personal life, starting next year. https://lnkd.in/gupVzUdT