History of Autism Nova Scotia

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Autism Nova Scotia (formerly the Provincial Autism Centre) was founded in October of 2002, and was the vision of Joan and Jack Craig, parents of an adult son with autism. The prior year, the Craig Foundation endowed a medical research Chair in Autism at Dalhousie University in Halifax, the first of its kind in Canada. The establishment of the Jack and Joan Craig Research Chair in Autism was a vital first step towards fostering new knowledge, better treatment practices, improved diagnosis and improved outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorders in Nova Scotia and beyond.

​The vision that fostered Autism Nova Scotia is a personal one. It was based on the sense of helplessness and isolation that many individuals and parents, including the Craigs, experience as they try to understand what autism will mean for their child, and for themselves. The Craigs wanted to reach out to parents and families in a practical way to help address their need for information, and equally important, to provide a supportive environment where parents and people with autism may go to find information on autism as well as connect with others facing a similar diagnosis.