If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with Autism, you are significantly more likely to experience mental health issues that severely impact your quality of life.
• 70% of those diagnosed with Autism present with at least one mental health condition (in addition to Autism), while 41% present with two or more.
• As a group, people with Autism are more than twice as likely to die prematurely and four times more likely to die by suicide compared to individuals without Autism.
• Mental issues also negatively impact the Autistic individual’s ability to realize potential with respect to academic pursuits, employment, economic self-sufficiency, and housing.

33% of autistic adults report unmet mental health needs. This is unacceptable and more than twice the rate of the non-autistic population. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, many autism serving organizations do not have the capacity to provide counselling services, while many counselling agencies do not have expertise in autism. Organizations, like SASS, that have both autism and counselling expertise often have long wait lists. Secondly, given the high unemployment rate associated with autism, most individuals do not have extended health care benefits or the ability to pay privately for services. SASS has a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience to provide this important service, but as the need for mental health services continues to rise, we are unable to keep up to the demand.

According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 1 in 50 Canadian children will receive an autism diagnosis. However, data from the Ministry of Children and Family Development in BC (2023) suggests that 1 in 30 is a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of autism in Canada. Given this rate, is it imperative that the community be positioned to support autistic Calgarians with their mental health concerns. Social isolation, unemployment, lower quality and life and premature mortality/suicide is unfortunately the reality for those with autism who do not receive timely access to specialized and effective mental health supports.

With your support, we can continue our mission to enhance lives across the spectrum by providing timely access to effective mental health services. Funds raised will go directly toward the staffing costs associated with the Counselling Across the Spectrum program. Your donation will help to ensure that wait lists and costs are not barriers for autistic individuals seeking mental health services.