Autistics United Canada and Autistics for Autistics Ontario have put together a list of COVID-19 resources for autistic people, which we will continue to update!

Disclaimer: We have compiled this list based on the utility of the resources, and do not necessarily endorse any particular group or organization we have shared from. Similarly, any group or organization sharing our own resource list does not mean we endorse or have collaborated with them. 

Download our full resource list (version 3):

• Word document
• PDF

Part 1 is resources specifically for autistic people. It includes:

• AAC resources and info
• Articles on coping with the pandemic
• Online meetup info
• Things to do while staying home / sheltering in place
• Resources on how to self-advocate in health care
• Resources for parents and caregivers of autistic people
• Financial aid 
  
  

Part 2 is resources about the coronavirus / COVID-19. It includes:

• Plain language guides to COVID-19
• COVID-19 guides in non-English languages 
• Resources from federal and provincial / territorial governments 
• Virtual medical clinics in Canada
• Online / home activities
• Mutual aid
• Harm reduction
• Financial aid in Canada

Please note that since our groups are based in “Canada” on Turtle Island, we are using resources from governments within Canada. Some information, such as physical distancing / shelter-in-place guidelines, may be different in regions outside of Canada.

Click here for PART 1: Resources for Autistic People

PART 2: General COVID-19 Information
(For government financial assistance info, please scroll to the end)
 
COVID-19 Resources in Plain Language
●       COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities (Green Mountain Self-Advocates)
●       Easy-to-read information about COVID-19 in many languages (Inclusion Europe)
●       We Are All Heroes, plain language COVID-19 information by autistic people (A4A Ontario)
●       Why is everything so weird (Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library)
●       What is COVID-19? A Resource for People with Aphasia (Tactus Therapy)
●       Plain language COVID-19 information in Spanish (ARASAAC)
 
Public Health Canada Resources
●       Government of Canada's symptom self-assessment tool and resources app (iOS & Android) (version française)
●       Up-to-date COVID-19 information and notifications from the Public Health Agency of Canada (version française)
●       More up-to-date information from Public Health Canada (version française)
●       Frequently Asked Questions (version française)
If you cannot find the information you need on the website, there is a federal hotline & email.
●       1-833-784-4397 (interpretation services are available in multiple languages)
●       Email: phac.info.aspc@canada.ca
●       Please note that some people have received fraudulent / fake phone calls that seem to be from this phone number. Do not give out personal information if you did not start the call. See the Government of Canada website for details.
 
Provincial/Territorial Resources 
List of Provincial & Territorial COVID-19 Resources
●       This is a list of official information from provincial and territorial governments and health agencies
●       The list includes phone hotlines for medical questions (e.g. if you are concerned you may have COVID-19)
●       Visit your province’s information page to find out if they have other communication methods available for medical questions (e.g. TTY) 
 
Additional Provincial/Territorial Resources 
●       BC COVID-19 Provincial Support 
●       HealthLink BC 
●       Alberta Health Services
●       Public Health Ontario
●       Info on COVID-19 health and financial supports for Canadians in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (C19 Response Coalition, British Columbia)
Some provinces have hotlines for non-medical questions about COVID-19 (e.g. if you have questions about emergency measures and relief funds):

1) British Columbia
●       Information is available in more than 110 languages, 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
●       Phone: 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319)
●       Text message: 604-630-0300
2) Saskatchewan
●       Phone: 1-855-559-5502 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
●       Email: COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca 
3) PEI
●       List of phone numbers and emails
4) Newfoundland & Labrador 
●       List of phone numbers and emails
5) Northwest Territories
●       List of phone numbers and emails
Call 2-1-1 or visit your province’s 211 website to connect with other community and social services in your area
 
 
Resources in Languages Other than English
1) American Sign Language (ASL)
●       Myths & facts about COVID-19 (Gallaudet University)
2) Amharic
●       ናይ ኮቪድ-19 ሓበሬታ ብቋንቋኹም (Alberta Health Services)
3) Arabic
●       فیروس كورونا (كوفید-19 (HealthLink BC)
●       COVID-19 فيروس كورونا المستجد (Government of Ontario)
●       حياة عيلتنا: تعليمات الوقاية من الكورونا (Our Family Life حياة عيلتنا) - Levantine dialect (subtitles in English, Arabic, and Turkish)
4) Bengali
●       2019 ন োভেল কভরো োেোইরোস কক (Government of Ontario)
5) Chinese
●       Info on COVID-19 health and financial supports for Canadians in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (C19 Response Coalition, British Columbia)
●       Simplified Chinese
o   新型冠状病毒常见问题-中文 (BC Centre for Disease Control)
o   Simplified Chinese Fact Sheets (Ontario Public Health)
o   2019 年新型冠状病毒 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
●       Traditional Chinese
o   新型冠狀病毒（COVID-19）(HealthLink BC)
o   新型冠狀病毒常見問題-中文 (BC Centre for Disease Control) 
o   2019 年新型冠狀病毒 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
●       Cantonese
o   COVID-19 Cantonese (BC Centre for Disease Control)  - Video
o   「不得了啦 !」為什麼要洗手+20秒洗手歌 (麥兜Mcdull) - Video
●       Mandarin
o   COVID-19 Mandarin (BC Centre for Disease Control)  - Video
6) Eastern Ojibwe
●       2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
7) Farsi
●       COVID-19 سوالات متداول درباره ویروس کرونای جدید (BC Centre for Disease Control)
●       ویروس کرونا (کووید-19 (HealthLink BC)
●       (COVID-19) 19 ویروس کرونای جدید (Government of Ontario)
8) French
●       Guide autosoins - COVID-19 (Government of Quebec)
●       Foire aux questions sur le nouveau coronavirus COVID-19 (BC Centre for Disease Control)
●       Coronavirus (COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       Nouveau coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
9) German
●       Self-Isolation Fact Sheet (Government of Manitoba)
●       Neuartiger Coronavirus 2019 (Government of Ontario)
10) Greek
●        Νέος κοροναϊός 2019  (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
11) Gujarati
●       2019 નોવેલ કોરોનાવાયરસ (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
12) Hindi
●       कोरोनावाइरस (COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       2019 नॉवल कोरोनावाइरस (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
13) International Sign
●      COVID-19 information in International Sign language (World Federation of the Deaf)
14) Inuktitut 
●       COVID Infographics (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami)
15) Italian
●       Italian Fact Sheets (Ontario Public Health)
●       Nuovo coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
16) Japanese
●       新型コロナウイルス感染症 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
17) Korean
●       코로나바이러스(COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       Korean Fact Sheets (Ontario Public Health)
●       2019 년도 신종 코로나바이러스(COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
●       EI Explainer in Korean (One World Foundation Canada for Human Rights)
18) Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) 
●       Guide autosoins - COVID-19 (Government of Quebec)
●       Contenu en LSQ (Government of Quebec)
19) Mohawk
●        2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
20) Oji-Cree
●        2019 ᑭᒋᐊᑭᑯᑲᐊᐧᐱᓀᐃᐧᐣ (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
21) Polish
●        Nowy koronawirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
22) Portuguese 
●       Novo coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
23) Punjabi
●       2019 ਨੋਵੇਲ ਕਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਆਮ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ ਪੁੱਛੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਸਵਾਲ (ਕੋਵਿਡ-19) (BC Centre for Disease Control)
●       ਕੋਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ (COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       2019 ਨਾਵਲ ਕੋਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
24) Russian
●       Новый коронавирус 2019 года (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
25) Romanian 
●       Noul coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
26) Somali
●       2019 coronavirus cusub (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
●       Xog ku saabsan COVID-19 (Alberta Health Services)
27) Spanish
●       Plain language COVID-19 information in Spanish (ARASAAC)
●       Coronavirus (COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       Spanish Fact Sheets (Ontario Public Health)
●       Nuevo coronavirus de 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
●       Enfermedad crónica y cuidado mutuo (Chronic illness Leadership For Emergent Times
28) Swampy Cree
●        2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
29) Tagalog
●       Coronovirus Fact Sheet (Government of Manitoba)
●       Self-Isolation Fact Sheet (Government of Manitoba)
●       Tagalog Fact Sheets (Ontario Public Health)
●       2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-1) (Government of Ontario)
●       Info on COVID-19 health and financial supports for Canadians in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (C19 Response Coalition, British Columbia)
30) Tamil
●       2019 புதிய கொரோனாவைரஸ் (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
31) Ukranian
●       Новий тип коронавірусу 2019 (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
32) Urdu 
●       2019 ناول کورونا وائرس (COVID-19) (Government of Ontario)
33) Vietnamese
●       Vi-rút Corona (COVID-19) (HealthLink BC)
●       NGĂN CHẶN SỰ LÂY LAN CỦA CORONAVIRUS (Government of Alberta)
●       Thông Tin về COVID-19 (Alberta Health Services)
●       Vi-rút corona mới 2019 (2019-nCoV) (Government of Ontario)
●       Easy-to-read information about COVID-19 in many languages (Inclusion Europe)
●       Info on COVID-19 health and financial supports for Canadians in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (C19 Response Coalition, British Columbia)
 
Doctor’s Appointments and Virtual Clinics
●       Please contact your doctor’s office or local walk-in clinic by email or phone. 
●       Talk to a doctor online:
o   Babylon by TELUS Health iOS & Android app (free for British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario residents)
o   Access Virtual (free for BC residents)
o   Vivacare (free for BC residents)
o   WELL Health VirtualClinic+ (free for BC residents)
o   Appletree Virtual Care (free for Ontario residents)
o   List of Yukon doctors offering virtual appointments
 
Health and Disability
●       Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities (Government of Canada)
o   HTML version (English)
o   HTML version (Français)
o   PDF (Français)
●       Disability and inclusion strategies during COVID-19 (Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism)
o   Highlights in this Twitter thread
●       COVID-19 information and resources for people living with pain
●       Disabled Creatives & Artists Relief Fund (Crip Camp Impact Campaign & Color of Change)
 
Mental Health
●       Wellness Together Canada (version française)
National online portal to connect with free mental health supports

• Wellness self-assessment and tracking.
• Self guided courses, apps, and other resources.
• Group coaching and community of support.
• Counselling by text or phone.

 
Things to Do When Staying Home / Sheltering in Place
●       87 Free or Cheap Ways To Stay Calm and Decompress (While Still Practicing Social Distancing!)
●       Online Activities List (for youth and others!)  
●       Free Colouring Books from 113 Museums
●       Museums Offering Virtual Tours
●       Virtual Field Trips
●       The Metropolitan Opera in New York is streaming operas for free
●       Social Distancing Festival - showcasing artists impacted by COVID-19
●       Hundreds of varied free Ivy League MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses) - Note that attendance certificates require a fee
●       Libraries may also be offering free online courses, such as Vancouver Public Library
●       Free Virtual Table Top Simulator
●       Open Gaming Network 
●       Self-isolation tips and social opportunities (thread)
 
Holding Online Meetings
●       Resources for Online Meetings, Classes, and Events
 
Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is helping each other: delivering groceries, providing supplies, giving emotional support, and more. Many mutual aid groups were created across Canada during the pandemic. They are places where neighbours can ask for help and offer help. All help in mutual aid groups is free.

●       COVID-19 Mutual Aid Groups (Facebook): Vancouver, Squamish Nation, Yukon, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Fredericton, Halifax, PEI 
There are many more! This is not an exhaustive list. 
●       Queer / LGBTQ+ Spoon Shares (Facebook): Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Greater Victoria, Calgary, Montreal
●       Vancouver Coming Together Website & App (BC)
●       Nelson Spoon Share (BC)
●       Pod mapping for mutual aid
●       How to create neighbourhood pods
●       How to start a neighbourhood pod (Canada)
o   Presentation slides
 
Harm Reduction for Drug Users
●       Safer Drug Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak (Harm Reduction Coalition)
 
Financial Aid in Canada
​●       COVID-19 Relief Funding from the Government of Canada under the Economic Response Plan 
●       Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Benefits and Services (Employment and Social Development Canada)
●       COVID-19 Benefits Explainer (Adrienne Smith Law)
●       EI Factsheet (BC Government and Service Employees’ Union)
●       EI Explainer in Korean (One World Foundation Canada for Human Rights)
●       Available Emergency Funds during COVID-19 - List of crowdsourced survival funds for the people across Turtle Island / North America 
●       For provincial and territorial funding, please visit the website of your province/territory.
●       Many town and city government websites have local information.
​
We will continue to update this resource list. Please let us know by emailing us at info@autisticsunitedca.org if you have any resources to suggest, especially ones for neurodivergent & disabled people! 

Autistics United Canada and Autistics for Autistics Ontario have put together a list of COVID-19 resources for autistic people, which we will continue to update!

Disclaimer: We have compiled this list based on the utility of the resources, and do not necessarily endorse any particular group or organization we have shared from. Similarly, any group or organization sharing our own resource list does not mean we endorse or have collaborated with them. 

Download our full resource list (version 3):

• Word document
• PDF

Part 1 is resources specifically for autistic people. It includes:

• AAC resources and info
• Articles on coping with the pandemic
• Online meetup info
• Things to do while staying home / sheltering in place
• Resources on how to self-advocate in health care
• Resources for parents and caregivers of autistic people
• Financial aid
  
  

Part 2 is resources about the coronavirus / COVID-19. It includes:

• Plain language guides to COVID-19
• COVID-19 guides in non-English languages 
• Resources from federal and provincial / territorial governments 
• Virtual medical clinics in Canada
• Online / home activities
• Mutual aid
• Harm reduction
• Financial aid in Canada

Please note that since our groups are based in “Canada” on Turtle Island, we are using resources from governments within Canada. Some information, such as physical distancing / shelter-in-place guidelines, may be different in regions outside of Canada.

PART 1: Resources for Autistic People 

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Resources

Here are resources to help you understand what others are talking about and communicate your concerns to others using AAC.

Because of physical distancing, AAC users may be left without family members or other support people in a hospital. Be prepared: know what to expect at a hospital and your communication rights ahead of time.

• Advocacy toolkit for your support person to be with you in the hospital (ARCH Disability Law Centre) (version française)
  
• New communication boards for COVID-19:

●       Boardmaker Online
Coughdrop
●       Patient-Provider Communication (English)
●       ​Patient-Provider Communication (Bilingual - Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish)
●       Another CoughDrop communication board for COVID-19
●       Printable communication board for COVID-19 (TechOWL)

• Using AAC in the hospital:

●       COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit (Communication Disabilities Access Canada, adapted from materials by Communication First)
●       COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit (Communication First - English, Spanish, and Chinese) 
●       Using AAC in hospitals during the coronavirus
●       Patient Easy-Read Symbol Sheets 
●       Phrase-based communication aid to talk to doctors (SpeakProse)
●       Example communication page to handle invasive people (Mel Baggs)

• Keeping your AAC device clean during coronavirus

 
Autism COVID-19 Individual Health Action Plan

• English - downloadable fillable PDF
• Spanish - downloadable fillable PDF

●       Please note that priority groups for testing will be different for each province/territory. Visit your province/territory’s COVID-19 info website or contact a local health care provider to find out if you can be tested.
 
Coping with the Changes – Guides

• We are Heroes: A Plain Language Guide about Covid-19 (A4A Ontario)

●       Text version - HTML
●       With pictures - PDF

• Why is everything so weird (Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library)

 
Coping with the Changes - Articles

• Autism and Coping with Pandemic Stressors (Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism)
• The "Now, Next, Later" autistic-specific planning strategy (Jamie and Lion)

 
Online Hangouts for Neurodivergent People!

• Autistics United Canada is hosting online hangouts on Tuesdays and Saturdays

●       Join via computer web browser, phone app, or phone call
●       Find accessibility information and call-in details at our Facebook event
 
Other Online Meetups!

• Apocalypse Joy - Queer/Allied BIPOC Show and Tell Support Group
• Chronically Queer
  
• Co Make Do

 
Other Things to Do When Staying Home / Sheltering in Place

• Autistic UK's Self-Isolation Boredom Busters  - great list of ideas!

 
For Parents & Caregivers

• Homeschooling tips (Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library)
  
• Supporting Neurodivergence Through the 2020 Pandemic (Foundations for Divergent Minds)

●       Foundations for Divergent Minds also has weekly discussions for caregivers and professionals and PDFs for activities to do at home on their Facebook page

• Education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings
• Free live online classes to support public school families affected by closures in the wake of COVID-19 (Outschool)
• Giant List of Ideas for Being Home with Kids
• Why We Stay at Home: a free book on coronavirus for children of color
  

●       Read aloud YouTube video 
Financial Aid

• Autistic People of Colour Fund (Autistic Women & Non-Binary Network)

●       See Part 2 for Canada-specific financial aid.
​
Click here for PART 2: General COVID-19 Information

We will continue to update this resource list. Please let us know by emailing us at info@autisticsunitedca.org if you have any resources to suggest, especially ones for neurodivergent & disabled people!

Our #AutisticsVote Federal Election 2019 Toolkit is now up! Check it out here, along with our Talking to MPs guide.

Sections:

• Introduction to the federal election
• Possible questions to ask your candidates
• How to find out more about policy issues and candidates
• How to get more involved
• How to vote
• Glossary
  

Elections Canada is the official source of information about voting at the 2019 federal election. Visit their website (English version / version française), check out their Voter’s Guide, and find updates on Twitter (English version / version française).

From our guide, possible questions you can ask your candidates: 

Consultation - Nothing about us without us! 

• Will your party commit to meaningfully consulting with autistic people of diverse backgrounds whenever creating national autism and disability policy?

 
Health care and well-being 

• Will your party implement a universal, single-payer public pharmacare system?
• Will your party commit to creating a national mental health strategy to address gaps in the current system in consultation with people with disabilities and mental illnesses?
• Will your party change the Medical Assistance in Dying law to comply fully with the safeguards and requirements of the Vulnerable Persons Standard?
• Will your party commit to implementing the full meaning and scope of Jordan’s Principle to ensure First Nations children equitable access to government services?"

 
Violence towards autistic people 

• Will your party commit to working with provincial governments to prohibit seclusion and restraint in schools, strengthen reporting and accountability requirements, and provide conflict and de-escalation training for school staff?
• Will your party resolve to take stronger measures against deadly non-evidenced “treatments” for autism such as Miracle Mineral Solution and chelation?
• Will your party commit to reducing police brutality towards autistic people by funding first responder training led by autistic people?
  

​
Stigma & “awareness” vs. acceptance

• Will your party resolve to end stigma towards autism, combat harmful awareness campaigns that further stigmatize autistic people, and work with autistic people to instead promote autism acceptance?

Equitable and affordable housing 

• Will your party fund affordable and accessible housing for people of all disabilities?
• Will your party adopt legislation to protect the right to independent supported living?
• Will your party commit to desegregated housing by closing institutions and re-routing funding towards independent supported living?

 
Employment and poverty

• Will your party work with autistic people to adopt more equitable hiring practices?
• Will your party create a national strategy create opportunities for competitive integrated employment?
• Will your party make changes to the benefits system so that disabled people are not forced to live in a cycle of poverty?"
• Will you reform the Disability Tax Credit: addressing high rejection rates, making it refundable, and protecting recipients from clawbacks?

 
Communication access

• Will your party create a national education program to train health care professionals on how to communicate with autistic patients, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users? 
• Will your party commit to providing plain language versions of legislation, policies, and services that impact people with disabilities?

Research 

• Will your party invest in participatory autism research that requires autistic co-design, consultation and input?
• Will your party invest in research on supports rather than cures, such as AAC supports, integrated employment supports, supports in educational settings, and autistic burnout and mental health?

Beyond the Accessible Canada Act

• Will your party commit to creating a national disability strategy with consultation of diverse disabled people, including autistic people?