2016 Conference on
Mental Health &
Adults with ASD
Hyatt Regency | Toronto, ON
February 26, 2016
Welcome to the website of the Ontario Working Group on Mental Health and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In response to the alarming lack of knowledge and appropriate services for adults living with ASD, this collaboration was created in spring 2014. We are leaders in the ASD field, clinicians and researchers in adult mental health, and representatives from professional clinical organizations across Ontario.
Increasingly, individuals are diagnosed with ASD for the first time in
adulthood. Also, those previously diagnosed with non-specific
developmental disabilities or learning disabilities are being identified
as having ASD. For all adults with ASD, their struggles in social
interaction are commonly compounded by mental health issues—particularly
anxiety and depression.
Without appropriate diagnostic and
mental health services, many adults suffer in isolation. They may be
unable to find or keep employment, gain independence, find friends and
partners, or function in post-secondary education. A recent provincial
study found that a high proportion of affected adults depend on family
members well into adulthood, require long-term financial supports, and
may have a poor quality of life overall.
The short-term deliverable of the Ontario Working Group is to organize a
day-long conference for mental health practitioners. This will be an
opportunity to educate clinicians across the province on the mental
health and psychosocial issues that adults with ASD face, while at the
same time presenting best practice approaches from expert speakers,
consumer panels, and research presentations.
In addition to this
unique event, the Ontario Working Groupplans to continue to inform
mental health professionals and the public about the needs of this
marginalized group.
About Ontario Working Group
Ontario Working Group on Mental Health and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder is composed of representatives from major providers of adult mental health services, professional medical and allied health groups, and leading autism spectrum organizations.