April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, starting Autism Awareness Month.

“The stats are currently that there’s at least one in 50 children in Canada that are on the autism spectrum and more recent data suggests that it’s even more prevalent than that, so it affects all of us,” said Julain Tomlinson, CEO of Autism Services of Saskatoon.

Systems are designed for neurotypical people, bringing challenges for people with sensory issues.

“Being able to navigate a world that’s not really designed for neurodiverse folks, kind of an exploration process from employment, housing, and navigating the system,” said Aiden Young, a Person-Centred Consultant for Inclusion Saskatchewan.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.

Young says there are many misconceptions about autism, especially on social media.

“There is a misconception that having a breakdown or nervous breakdown is a part of autism spectrum disorder and that is actually not really capturing the whole picture,” he said. “People with autism (are) not being rude, they are simply being overstimulated.”

Tomlinson says Saskatoon has done great work around raising awareness and inclusion, but more work needs to be done.

“We need to create more inclusive workplaces, we need to be able to support our schools, they’re supporting children with autism. There’s a whole variety of things that we need to be doing.”

Young says talking to people on the spectrum is a great way to expand understanding.

“Take a step into the community and see all the diverse people out there and… going into a space where people with autism tend to connect and being able to connect with those folks.”

Throughout the month, Stacked Pancake House in Saskatoon will be donating $2 of every meal to Autism Services.

Watch above for more on what this day means for the autistic community and how neurotypical people can better educate themselves.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Sarah Balkenhol is deeply concerned about a new funding model and what it will mean for two of her four children on the autism spectrum.

“Regression is very common in autism,” Balkenhol said.  “There will be negative consequences for many families.”

The West Kelowna, B.C., mom says under the new “needs-based model,” therapy funding for her boys will drop by thousands of dollars, nearly two-thirds of what the boys currently receive.

“It’s going to be a choice between feeding my family or accessing therapy for my kids,” Balkenhol said.

The new model, Balkenhol said, will classify her two boys, aged two and five, as having only moderate needs, resulting in the reduced funding.

She also says they will qualify for less funding because they only have an autism diagnosis and nothing else.

“Your children are not disabled enough to receive funds,” she said, as she described learning of the significant reduction in funding. “Where I struggle with that is that we’ve done hours and hours of therapy to get to the point we are today.”

Brandi Neff is another concerned West Kelowna mother.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

“The biggest concern for me is just like losing the continuity of care,” Neff said.

Neff has three children on the spectrum and is also facing a loss of thousands in therapy dollars.

“The services we are receiving are helping. They’re giving gains,” Neff said. “To remove those services means those gains are going to stop.”

5:31
Clara Hughes to deliver keynote address at Children’s Autism Services annual conference

The province said it’s investing an unprecedented $475 million for the new model over three years to support children in need.

That will allow thousands more children with different kinds of needs, such as Down syndrome, to access funding for the very first time.

“This is really about strengthening the entire system,” said Jodie Wickens, the minister for children and family development.

Wickens did, however, acknowledge that revamping the system will mean reduced funding for some.

“We anticipate about 20 per cent of children currently receiving funding may see a reduction in their funding,” Wickens said. “That’s about 5,000 children in B.C.”

Balkenhol said every child with needs should have access to support but not at the expense of children who have come to rely on it for their well-being.

“We cannot be taking from Peter to feed Paul,” Balkenhol said. “Just because they’re saying that more children are going to be accessing support, that shouldn’t come with the children that currently access support reducing their support.”

Balkenhol said she can’t imagine looking at a child in need of therapy and saying, “‘We need to take that away. It’s not needed.’ It is needed.”

The new model will be phased in over three years.

2:03
Kelowna family donates house to charity

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.