We are invested in meeting the clinical needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families in the community. This cannot be done in isolation or without the involvement of practitioners and partners who work with these families. Thus, we highly values working with community settings, as majority of our research questions are informed by clinical practices and/or inform clinical practices. We work in partnership with many different autism-specific agencies (e.g., Society for the Treatment of Autism, Renfrew Educational Services, Sinneave Family Foundation), as well as other community agencies (e.g., Special Olympics, Silver Linings Foundation, and CANLearn). For example, the ‘Pathways Project’ is being conducted in collaboration with the Society for the Treatment of Autism to examine the pathway to care of children and their families with autism spectrum disorder post-diagnosis. We also collaborate with various clinics through Alberta Health Services, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health and the Child Development Services (Autism Diagnostic Clinic and the Cumulative Risk Diagnostic Clinic). Lastly, we have recently partnered with a the NDD Integrated Brain Health Initiative, Alberta Health Services, RCSD, and various community partners to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of Facing Your Fears (a cognitive behaviour therapy group for children with ASD and anxiety).
