Autism Together Community: an innovative project
Autism Together Community is also an innovation project focused on social support, experiential knowledge, and stigma-free care.
Thus, Autism Together Community develops:
- Peer social support programs for autistic people and their families.
- Tools to counter the stigma of autistic people and their families.
- Continuing education resources for health professionals to promote support and care focused on the needs of autistic people and their families and their empowerment.
A project based on experiential knowledge
Experiential knowledge is the development of knowledge through life experiences rather than formal education or vocational training.
We leverage this experiential knowledge to develop knowledge and resources to strengthen the skills of autistic people, their families and health professionals.
Who is Autism Together Community for?
General public
To better understand autistic people.
Autistic people
For support for and by autistic people
Parents
For support for and by relatives of autistic people
Health care professional
For the development of skills in autism
Media
To communicate well about autism and contribute to the acceptance of autistic people in society
Our team
Our team brings together a diversity of professional expertise and life experiences. It is composed of:
- Researchers and specialists in public health, mental health, service organization, communication and peer help
- Autistic people
- Parents of autistic people
By addressing the social determinants of health, our projects aim to contribute to improving the quality of life of autistic people and their families.
Our research publications
To consult our publications
Rapport de recherche : Consultation de parents d’un enfant atteint d’un TSA et développement d’une plateforme numérique leur offrant un soutien social.
Renaud L, Caron-Bouchard M, en collaboration avec Valderrama A. Rapport de recherche : Consultation de parents d’un enfant atteint d’un TSA et développement d’une plateforme numérique leur offrant un soutien social. Com Santé UQAM, 2018.
Cherba, M., Thoër, C., Turbide, O., Denault, V., Renaud, L., Valderrama, A., Courcy, I., Cordelier, B., Laquerre, M.-E., Cyr, C., Hovington, J., & Muloin, C. (2019). Le soutien social en ligne comme mode d’intervention psychosociale?: Revue de littérature, pistes de recherche et recommandations pour les intervenants. Santé Publique, 31(1), 83.
Les enjeux de littératie dans la communication aux parents du diagnostic de trouble du spectre de l’autisme chez l’enfant. Santé mentale au Québec.
For autistic persons by autistic persons: Acceptability of a structured peer support service according to key stakeholders.
Valderrama, A., Martinez, A., Charlebois, K., Guerrero, L., & Forgeot d’Arc, B. (2022). For autistic persons by autistic persons: Acceptability of a structured peer support service according to key stakeholders. Health Expectations: An International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy.
Croiser les perspectives pour mieux informer en autisme: Entre ce que les professionnels veulent dire, ce que les parents veulent savoir et comment les adultes autistes veulent que l’on parle d’eux.
Courcy, I., Valderrama, A., Weis-Heitner, L., Giroux, M., Guerrero, L., Thermidor, G., Laporte, L., & Forgeot d’Arc, B. (2021). Croiser les perspectives pour mieux informer en autisme: Entre ce que les professionnels veulent dire, ce que les parents veulent savoir et comment les adultes autistes veulent que l’on parle d’eux. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 40(2), 104–119.
Person-reported perspectives on support availability for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.
Valderrama, A., Lajoie, X., Armstrong, M., Luizar-Obregon, A., & Kraus de Camargo, O. (2022). Person-reported perspectives on support availability for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec. Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique, 113(6), 834–845.
Portrait de la stigmatisation et de l’acceptation des personnes autistes et de leurs proches au Québec. Rapport de recherche remis à l’OPHQ et au FRIS.
Valderrama A, Forgeot d’Arc B, Guerrero L, Giroux M, Courcy I. (2023). Portrait de la stigmatisation et de l’acceptation des personnes autistes et de leurs proches au Québec. Rapport de recherche remis à l’OPHQ et au FRIS.
Would you like to get involved?
At Autism Together Community, we are always looking for volunteers to:
- Host and moderate the online community.
- Mentor autistic people.
- Support our research as a student.
Reach us!