Understanding Autism |

We’re excited to host Understanding Autism, a hands-on workshop for educators and school staff who want practical, neuroaffirming ways to support autistic learners.

In this two-hour PD session, we’ll paint a colourful field of flowers that doubles as a visual framework for understanding autistic sensory needs, communication styles, and strengths. Each flower represents a different profile, showing how diversity enriches a classroom ecosystem rather than needing to be “fixed” or blended into sameness.

Expect a guided, step-by-step painting experience paired with lived-experience insights and actionable classroom strategies. We’ll unpack how autism has historically been understood, challenge deficit-based narratives, and offer a strengths-focused, inclusive perspective you can use immediately in your practice.

What you’ll get:

• Guided 12" × 16" painting to display as a visual reminder in your classroom

• Practical, teacher-friendly tools for supporting sensory regulation and communication

• Strategies for fostering psychological safety and authentic inclusion

• Lived-experience perspectives that translate to real scenarios—not just theory

• Invoices are emailed automatically for SSTA reimbursement. Please print our invoice and attach it to Form B from the SSTA website:

Who should attend: teachers, EAs, resource and support staff, admin, counsellors, and anyone working in school settings who wants a creative, respectful, and neuroaffirming understanding of autism.

Join us on Thursday, Jan 23 from 1:30–3:30 to learn, create, and leave with a new metaphor—and real strategies—to better support autistic students. Spaces are limited. Plus — take-home printouts for your classroom:

Participants will receive a compact, teacher-friendly booklet that summarizes the workshop visuals, key concepts, and neuroaffirming language around autism. It also includes a simple class activity called the Brain Map, designed to help students recognize that everyone processes the world differently — and that diversity in thinking is a strength, not a problem to fix. The activity encourages students to identify their own sensory preferences, strengths, and communication styles, reinforcing acceptance and reducing stigma.