What's New?

Autism Awareness Month 2026

May 13, 2026 —

Autism Awareness Month 2026: A Month of Connection, Creativity and Inclusion

 

Throughout Autism Awareness Month 2026, the Miriam Foundation and the Gold Learning & Research Centre were proud to welcome families, professionals, partners, and community members for a series of activities that celebrated neurodiversity, strengthened connections, and highlighted the comprehensive support available to clients at the Gold Centre.

 

Guided tours throughout the month

Over the course of April, we hosted guided visits by appointment, offering an inside look at our programs and spaces. These tours created meaningful opportunities for dialogue—helping visitors learn more about our services, meet members of our team, and better understand how we support neurodivergent individuals at every stage of life.

 

BMW Raffle: a province-wide show of generosity

This month also featured our BMW Raffle, a fundraising initiative hosted in collaboration with BMW Laval. Each raffle ticket purchase entered participants for a chance to win a 2026 BMW X5. Thanks to the generosity of people from across Quebec, we raised the funds needed to continue providing critical support to individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities of all ages.

On April 15, we hosted the live draw at the Gold Centre, in the heart of our early childhood intervention services, and together with Nick Loffreda, General Sales Manager of BMW Laval, Nick Meti, a Miriam Foundation board member, and Davis Alexander, quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes—along with our colleagues from the Miriam Foundation and the Gold Centre—we drew the winning ticket. Congratulations to the winner!

 

Launch of our new sensory room

This month also marked the launch of our new sensory room at the Gold Centre—an important addition to the environment we create for our clients. Made possible through the generous funding of the Amal Foundation and Enfant Soleil, the space is designed to support regulation, comfort, and engagement, and has already become a much-loved resource within the continuum of services we offer.

 

“Let Diversity Bloom”: a client-led fashion show

A highlight of the month was Let Diversity Bloom, a fashion show organized by our Creative and Therapeutic Arts Program team. This event was a true collaborative project with the clients who participated: each person developed their own concept and brought it to life with the team’s support—choosing what to wear, selecting music to walk and dance to, and even choreographing a short dance of their own.

We are immensely proud of every client who took part. It was inspiring to see their creativity, confidence, and individuality on full display—and to watch them enjoy a well-deserved moment to shine. Our sincere thanks to Melissa, Anna, Momo, Asa, Lorena, Karla, Chloe and Beata for all their hard work to prepare this wonderful event.

 

Connecting with the community at the Pathways to Inclusion Resource Fair

We also had the pleasure of participating in the Pathways to Inclusion Resource Fair, organized by the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA and Federation CJA. Alongside many colleagues from the community, we shared information about our services, met families and professionals, and continued strengthening the network of organizations working toward greater inclusion.

 

Thank you to everyone who visited, participated, collaborated, and helped make Autism Awareness Month 2026 so meaningful. Together, we continue to build welcoming spaces where neurodivergent individuals are supported, celebrated, and empowered to thrive.