20 Years of Autism Connections

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October 2026 marks an incredible milestone for Autism Connections: 20 years of serving the greater Fredericton community!

For two decades, Autism Connections has grown alongside the autistic individuals and families we serve. Programs have changed, our community has grown, and our understanding of autism and neurodiversity has continued to evolve, but one thing has remained at the heart of our organization from the very beginning: connection.

The story of Autism Connections began in October 2006, when what was then known as Autism Connections Fredericton began operating as a local resource for families affected by autism.

At the time, accessing autism-related information, services and support could be incredibly difficult for families to navigate. Autism Connections was created by parents who understood that experience firsthand and wanted families in the Fredericton area to have a place where they could find resources, connect with others and know they were not navigating the journey alone.

The Autism Connections Fredericton Resource Centre celebrated its official grand opening in the spring of 2007. The opening brought together families, professionals, community members and government representatives, including then-Premier Shawn Graham and Fredericton MP Andy Scott.

From those early days as a parent-led resource centre, the foundation was established for the organization Autism Connections would become.

As the needs of the autism community changed, Autism Connections changed with them.

What began primarily as a place for families to access information and connect with one another gradually grew into a registered charity providing a much broader range of supports to the greater Fredericton region.

Over the years, Autism Connections has offered resources, public education, advocacy, recreational opportunities, social programming, individualized support and evidence-based services. The organization has worked not only with children, but increasingly with youth and adults as well, recognizing that autistic people need access to meaningful support, opportunity and community throughout the lifespan.

That lifespan perspective has become an important part of who we are. Autism does not end when childhood ends, and neither should access to community and support.

Autism Connections has also worked collaboratively with community organizations, professionals, government departments, funders, businesses and other partners to help identify gaps, connect people with appropriate resources and advocate for more consistent and accessible support.

Over the years, Autism Connections has developed and hosted programs that give autistic children, youth and adults opportunities to learn, participate, build confidence, explore interests and connect with others.

Camp Marvel has become a much-loved part of summer for many families, providing autistic and neurodivergent children and youth with an inclusive camp experience with individualized support. For some participants, Camp Marvel has become much more than a summer activity: children have returned year after year, built friendships, and in some cases later returned as volunteers or employees.

No Limits Soccer created an opportunity for children to experience sport in a supportive, non-competitive environment designed around different learning and participation needs. It continues to grow and improve every year, with more and more participants each season, and the funding to hire experienced and trained coaches. 

Our recreational programming has continued to grow and evolve, including opportunities such as First Tee Golf, giving children and youth another way to try something new, develop skills and participate in recreation in an environment where flexibility and inclusion are built into the program.

Ernie's Happy Hangout, our after-school program, provides a space for children to spend time together, play, build friendships and strengthen social interaction in a natural environment.

Social learning opportunities have also been part of Autism Connections' programming, from early-childhood groups such as Toddler Club to programs such as the Bricklayers LEGO® Club, using shared interests and structured activities to encourage communication, collaboration and connection.

As Autism Connections has grown, so has our ability to provide individualized, evidence-based support.

Today, our Skills Enrichment Suite supports autistic individuals across the lifespan in developing meaningful skills that can increase independence and quality of life.

Essential Skills Enrichment provides individualized support based on each person's goals, while Enhanced Skills Enrichment provides additional support for individuals whose needs may include higher levels of assistance or risky behaviours.

Our Adult Mentorship Program further reflects the organization's commitment to supporting autistic people beyond childhood, with individualized programming focused on independence across environments.

Autism Connections has also introduced new approaches and technology to complement skills development, including the integration of Floreo virtual reality experiences into Skills Enrichment programming with support from community and funding partners.

Employment has become another area of focus. Through initiatives such as Aspire to Work, Autism Connections has expanded opportunities for autistic youth and adults to build practical employment-readiness skills, explore workplace expectations and accommodations, strengthen self-advocacy and develop tools that can support long-term success at work.

While Autism Connections has grown into much more than a resource centre, helping people find reliable information and understand their options remains an important part of our roots.

People often contact us at a point when they are not sure where to begin: they may be pursuing an autism assessment, newly diagnosed, trying to understand government programs, searching for a service, preparing for a transition, or simply trying to figure out what support is available.

We also recognize that obtaining a formal autism diagnosis is not equally accessible to everyone. Long wait times, cost, availability of qualified professionals and other barriers can make the diagnostic process difficult to navigate. For that reason, a formal diagnosis is not required to access Autism Connections. Autistic individuals, those who self-identify as autistic, people who are awaiting or exploring assessment, and their families are welcome to connect with us and access the programs, resources and supports for which they are otherwise eligible.

Our Virtual Resource Guide grew from that same need that helped inspire Autism Connections in the first place: finding autism-related information and services should not require individuals and families to navigate an overwhelming system entirely on their own.

Today, the guide brings together information on autism-related programs, services, professionals, financial and disability supports, education, employment, accessibility, recreation, advocacy, health and many other topics. It includes resources from New Brunswick and beyond and continues to grow and change as new information becomes available.

Our website, educational resources, community outreach and responses to public inquiries all continue that original resource-centre role in a modern form — helping people find their next step without making access to community dependent on a formal diagnosis.

Autism Connections has always recognized that community extends beyond programs and services.

Our Parent/Caregiver Support Group provides a space for parents, caregivers and family members of autistic individuals to meet, talk, hear from guest speakers and share experiences with others who understand some of the realities of supporting an autistic loved one.

Family membership has also helped connect families with Autism Connections through program opportunities, resources, special events and community partnerships.

Over the years, partnerships with organizations including the Fredericton Playhouse have helped make additional community experiences accessible to our members.

Some of Autism Connections' most enduring traditions have taken the organization beyond the walls of the Resource Centre and brought the wider community together.

In 2026, the Superhero Fun-Run/Walk celebrated its 16th year. Over the years, the event has become one of Autism Connections' largest annual community events and fundraisers, bringing autistic individuals, families, friends, volunteers, businesses and supporters together while raising funds for our programs and services.

The event has grown into a tradition for many families, with participants returning year after year to walk, run, fundraise, dress up and celebrate the autistic people who are important to them.

Spares & Strikes for Autism reaches another milestone during our 20th anniversary year, celebrating its 10th annual Bowl-a-Thon in 2026. Teams, lane sponsors, donors and local businesses have helped turn the event into another longstanding community fundraiser supporting Autism Connections.

Our annual Drive-By Santa has created a sensory-friendly way for families to take part in a holiday tradition. Families experience holiday lights, community partners, first responders and service vehicles from their own vehicle before visiting Santa, with the event designed to offer a more flexible and accessible holiday experience.

These events are fundraisers and celebrations, but they are also something more: opportunities for autistic people and their families to participate in community traditions in ways that work for them.

Our role has also expanded to include celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of autistic people themselves.

The Autism Connections Merit Award recognizes autistic New Brunswickers for their achievements, personal growth, effort and determination. Rather than defining achievement through a single measure, the award creates an opportunity to recognize the many different ways autistic people pursue goals, overcome barriers, contribute and succeed.

Autism Connections' work has also included advocacy around gaps in autism services.

In 2019, Autism Connections contributed to the conversation surrounding adult autism supports through A Provincial Focus on Services for Adults with Autism: Navigating “The Cliff.” The report examined the challenges that can arise as autistic people transition from child- and school-based systems into adulthood and highlighted the need for adequate and consistent services across the lifespan.

That concern remains relevant today. Autism Connections continues to recognize that meaningful inclusion means considering the needs of autistic people at every stage of life.

The programs, services and events tell only part of the story.

Autism Connections would not exist without the people who have built it.

Over twenty years, that has included parents who saw a need and decided to create something; volunteer board members who helped guide the organization; staff members who developed and delivered programs; students and summer employees who became part of our community; volunteers who gave their time; professionals who shared their expertise; businesses and organizations that became partners; funders and donors who made new ideas possible; and countless families and autistic individuals who trusted Autism Connections enough to become part of it.

Many of the children who first walked through our doors are now adults.

Some participants have grown from attending programs to volunteering, working and supporting others.

Families who once came looking for help have returned years later to fundraise, volunteer, advocate and help ensure that another family has somewhere to turn.

Our community has helped shape Autism Connections just as much as Autism Connections has worked to serve the community.

Twenty years after we began, Autism Connections continues to serve the greater Fredericton region from our centre at 1666 Lincoln Road.

Today, we are a registered charity providing programs, services, resources, advocacy, community engagement and evidence-based information for autistic individuals, with or without a formal diagnosis, and their families and communities.

We serve children, youth and adults. We continue to develop new programs, respond to emerging needs and strengthen partnerships throughout our community.

Our understanding and language have grown over twenty years as well. We continue working toward a community that does more than simply raise awareness of autism — one that values acceptance, accessibility, inclusion, autonomy and belonging.

And we are still learning.

Twenty years is an opportunity to look back, but it is also an opportunity to look forward.

The photos collected on this page capture only some of the thousands of moments that have made up Autism Connections' history: summer camp adventures, soccer fields, walks and runs, holiday celebrations, bowling teams, programs, volunteers, staff, families, friendships, milestones and ordinary days spent together.

Behind every photo is a person who became part of our story.

As we celebrate 20 Years of Autism Connections, we are grateful to everyone who has walked through our doors, participated in a program, attended an event, volunteered, donated, sponsored, partnered with us, served on our Board, worked on our team, shared a resource, asked a question, offered feedback or helped another person find their way to us.

From a parent-led Resource Centre that began operating in 2006 to the organization we are today, Autism Connections has always been built around one simple but powerful idea:

People need connection.

Thank you for being part of ours.

Here's to 20 years — and to everything still ahead.