MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC · A PARENT’S SHORTLIST
Useful places.
People. Things to read.
Help with the forms. A place that understands your child. A book that speaks to what you’re going through.
69 selected resources, grouped by what they offer. Open a section or search for what your family needs.
69 resources to explore
Benefits & help with applications 12
Find financial support and help getting the forms right.
OPHQ — help with forms and access to services
Ask Québec’s disability office to help identify relevant programs and work through administrative barriers when you cannot get the support your child needs.
CRA — check disability tax credit eligibility
Check the functional-impact criteria, including mental functions, before asking a practitioner to complete your child’s disability tax credit application.
CRA — apply for the disability tax credit
Follow the official digital or paper T2201 process, with separate instructions for the family and the practitioner completing the medical section.
Retraite Québec — supplement for a child with a disability
Check the province’s separate eligibility rules and application requirements for financial support when a child’s disability significantly limits everyday activities.
CRA — child disability benefit
Find out how a child’s approved disability tax credit and your Canada child benefit eligibility connect to this monthly family payment.
Québec — Family Support Program
Ask your health and social services team about funding for respite, supervision and help with daily family responsibilities when caring for an autistic person at home.
Retraite Québec — exceptional-care supplement
Review the additional assessment for families carrying extraordinary care and safety responsibilities for a child with severe disabilities or complex medical needs.
CRA — claim or transfer an approved disability tax credit
Use this after approval to understand claiming the credit, transferring an unused amount to a supporting relative, and requesting previous-year adjustments.
CRA — registered disability savings plan
Understand how an RDSP works before discussing long-term savings for a child approved for the disability tax credit with a financial institution.
Canada — RDSP grants and bonds
Check how family income and contributions affect government RDSP support, including bonds that can be available without a personal contribution.
CRA — eligible medical expenses
Check the official expense list and documentation requirements before assuming that an assessment, therapy or support cost can be claimed on your tax return.
CRA — which practitioners qualify for medical-expense claims
Look up the Québec column to check whether a practitioner’s profession is recognized for medical-expense tax-credit purposes.
Assessment & public services 10
Choose the pathway that serves your child’s age and neighbourhood.
Agir tôt — early-development services
Contact your CLSC about developmental concerns through this program for children under seven, without waiting for an autism diagnosis.
FQA — diagnosis and first steps
Follow the Québec autism federation’s first-step guidance to understand screening, diagnostic assessment and where to ask for help while you wait.
Autisme Montréal — finding an assessment
Compare Montréal’s public and private assessment routes and use the association’s local orientation to prepare questions for the service receiving your referral.
Confirm referral rules with the receiving service; published wait estimates may be outdated.
Centre-Sud — autism and intellectual-disability access desk
Find the intake contact and coverage area for CLSC and rehabilitation requests through this specific 211 listing for the Centre-Sud DI-TSA desk.
West Island CIUSSS — request autism services
Find the ID-ASD-PD access point and the reports to bring when asking for rehabilitation or other disability services in this territory.
West-Central CIUSSS — rehabilitation access desk
Use the program-specific referral forms and supporting-document instructions for an ID-ASD-PD rehabilitation request in West-Central Montréal.
East Montréal CIUSSS — disability services
Locate the East Montréal service pathway for disability-related psychosocial, rehabilitation and home-support needs.
North Montréal CIUSSS — autism service pathway
Use the autism branch of the North Montréal disability-services directory to find the relevant local service and referral information.
Montréal Children’s — Brain, Development and Behaviour
Read the hospital program’s referral and service information for children with complex developmental or behavioural concerns before seeking an appointment.
Centre-Sud — ICI program for four-year-olds
See the age-specific public ICI program’s format and parent involvement so you can ask whether its approach and requirements fit your child.
This describes an ABA-based service; discuss goals, consent and fit with the team.
Local organizations & parent support 12
Find people who know autism, your region and the services around you.
Autisme Montréal — parent support and advocacy
Ask for help navigating services or advocating at a meeting when an autistic family member’s support has been refused or is not meeting their needs.
WIAIH — West Island family support
Explore parent groups, adapted recreation and the Pat Roberts preschool program, which also welcomes children with developmental concerns who do not yet have a diagnosis.
Autisme Laval — respite and activities
Compare respite and activity options by age and support needs, including the Chat Botté services for younger children.
Autisme Montérégie — parent groups and respite
Find age-specific parent discussion groups, autism workshops and the Accès Répit service through the regional association’s current program listings.
West Island CIUSSS — planned respite
Discuss planned respite with your child’s caseworker using the service’s explanation of how families arrange a break from caregiving.
4Korners — services available in English
Use this regional directory to find neurodiversity organizations with staff able to support English-speaking families in the Laurentians.
Maison de l’Autisme — autistic-led community
Explore peer discussions, webinars and social activities developed by and for autistic people, including spaces for parents and relatives.
Membership is required for services; the linked page currently displays in French.
MCLD — parent support and navigation
Contact the Montréal Centre for Learning Disabilities for guidance around overlapping autism, ADHD and learning needs while checking which parent programs are currently running.
The site says formal parent programming is paused; contact the team before planning around a group.
Miriam Foundation — child and family programs
Compare the Gold Centre’s child programs, parent coaching and creative-arts services before submitting a service request.
MSNF — ask about help paying for therapy
Ask this local organization about its therapy-funding support for underprivileged children with special needs when costs are blocking access to care.
Funding availability and eligibility must be confirmed directly; an enquiry does not guarantee assistance.
FQA — find your regional autism association
Find the autism association responsible for your region when you live outside the service area of a Montréal organization.
Montréal Neurodiverse Connection
Find peer meetups for neurodivergent adults and loved ones if you are seeking community for yourself as a parent or for an adult family member.
School & childcare 7
Prepare for meetings, ask for support and explore specialized settings.
Espace Parents — prepare for an intervention-plan meeting
Learn how parents participate in a school intervention plan and when to bring an outside professional to help coordinate support.
OPHQ — school-path guide for parents
Use this parent guide to understand school transitions, support services and avenues for assistance when a child has a disability.
Québec — intervention-plan checklist
Bring this short official overview to a school meeting to clarify who participates, how goals are agreed and when the plan should be reviewed.
Québec — extra accompaniment funding for daycare
Share the AEI rules with your subsidized childcare provider to discuss additional accompaniment hours for a child eligible for the provincial disability supplement.
Funding goes to the childcare provider, not directly to the parent; this measure took effect September 1, 2026.
EMSB — special-education support and referrals
Understand the school board’s evaluation and referral process before asking about specialized classes, services or schools for your child.
Giant Steps — autism school and admissions
Read the autism-specific school’s approach and admissions information to prepare questions about placement and your child’s support needs.
Summit School — specialized education
Explore the school’s adapted education, allied-health supports and job-training programs when considering a specialized school placement.
Activities & accessible outings 3
Plan a visit around actual accommodations and participation rules.
Access 2 — support-person admission card
Apply for a card that can reduce or remove a support person’s admission charge at participating venues when a permanent disability creates an ongoing need for assistance.
Eligibility, card fees and venue participation apply; check the program’s current terms.
Cineplex — sensory-friendly screenings
Look for designated screenings with the lights up and sound lowered, then check the participating cinema and date before planning your outing.
Only designated screenings have these adjustments; check local listings.
Les Grands Ballets — adapted creative dance
Ask about the next intake for a small creative-dance class designed for autistic children and led by two National Centre for Dance Therapy facilitators.
The autumn 2026 registration deadline has passed; contact the program about a future intake.
Books & reading lists 8
Start with the question you want a book to help you understand.
Uniquely Human — Barry Prizant
Read a clinician’s account of understanding autistic behaviour through communication, coping and trust, with stories that may change the questions you ask about your child.
Welcome to the Autistic Community — ASAN
Read a plain-language book written by autistic people about autistic lives, community and rights, with free online access to share with family members.
Differently Wired — Debbie Reber
Use this parent’s account to rethink expectations, school advocacy and family decisions when conventional parenting advice does not fit your child.
The Out-of-Sync Child — Carol Stock Kranowitz
Explore descriptions of sensory differences that can help you put everyday difficulties into words when discussing your child’s needs with an occupational therapist.
Sensory descriptions can inform a conversation; proposed therapies need separate evidence review.
Taking Charge of ADHD — Russell Barkley
Consult this ADHD-focused parent guide for explanations of assessment, treatment choices and home-and-school support when attention and impulsivity are also concerns.
ADHD-specific; recommendations are not automatically applicable to every autistic child.
NeuroTribes — Steve Silberman
Read the history of autism and neurodiversity to understand how diagnostic ideas and public attitudes shaped the services families encounter today.
How to ADHD — Jessica McCabe
Explore an adult’s practical account of managing attention, time and daily tasks if your own ADHD is making family life harder to organize.
Autism Books by Autistic Authors — reading catalogue
Find books by autistic authors by topic and audience, including picture books, nonspeaking perspectives and resources for siblings.
The catalogue’s author currently reports a break from updates.
Podcasts 7
Hear parents, autistic people and professionals in their own words.
Full-Tilt Parenting — Debbie Reber
Choose conversations by parenting theme, including school difficulties and emotional support, from a parent raising a differently wired child.
Sur le spectre — conversations with autistic people
Hear autistic lived experience alongside Montréal researchers, beginning with a conversation about being an autistic parent.
Le spectre sur les ondes — FQA
Listen to Québec researchers discuss autistic families’ everyday realities while parents and practitioners respond to the findings.
Apparaître — Stéphanie Boulay
Hear women describe late autism and ADHD diagnoses and masking in this Radio-Canada series exploring why their differences were missed.
The Neurodiversity Podcast
Explore conversations about giftedness alongside autism, ADHD and learning differences when a child’s strengths can obscure their support needs.
Neurodiverging — Danielle Sullivan
Listen to a neurodivergent parent and coach discuss accessible routines, self-advocacy and the practical work of living in a neurodivergent family.
A coaching perspective; the publisher also sells services.
Beautifully Complex — Penny Williams
Browse parenting conversations about school struggles, transitions and emotional regulation when daily family routines repeatedly become difficult.
The publisher also sells parenting programs; episodes are not individual treatment advice.
Websites & newsletters 5
Add a useful perspective or a local source to your reading.
NeuroClastic — autistic perspectives
Read autistic writers’ perspectives on communication, identity and inclusion to broaden the voices informing how you support your child.
Lived experience and commentary; individual articles are not clinical guidance.
Neurodivergent Insights — Megan Anna Neff
Explore a neurodivergent psychologist’s visual explanations of overlapping autism and ADHD experiences, especially presentations that are often overlooked.
Includes paid workbooks; educational material does not establish a diagnosis.
Inspirations — Montréal disability community news
Find local education stories and a disability-services directory covering camps, vocational options and family supports in the Montréal community.
Self-Regulated Parent — Kate Lynch
Read reflections and mindfulness-oriented practices for parents who want to notice their own stress responses while raising a neurodivergent child.
Personal and coaching perspectives, not a clinical treatment program.
Maybe I’m Amazed — John Harris
Read a father’s reflections on his autistic son, music and special education for a personal account of family life beyond clinical descriptions.
UK education experiences may differ from Québec’s system.
Practical tools & care conversations 5
Bring better questions to a screening, school or health appointment.
Canadian Paediatric Society — sleep and neurodevelopment
Use this guide to prepare a sleep conversation with your child’s clinician, including routines, possible medical contributors and supervised treatment options.
Written for clinicians; discuss medication questions with your child’s prescriber.
Canadian Paediatric Society — care after an autism diagnosis
Use this overview to plan follow-up questions about coexisting health needs, coordinated care and family support after diagnosis.
A clinical reference to help prepare questions, not an individualized care plan.
M-CHAT-R/F — screening follow-up and scoring
Use the authors’ scoring and follow-up instructions with a health professional to understand what a toddler screening result calls for next.
A screening tool, not a diagnosis; a low score does not replace follow-up on developmental concerns.
M-CHAT-R/F — translated questionnaires
Find the authors’ authorized translations, including Canadian French, so a toddler screening discussion can use the questionnaire in your family’s language.
Use with professional follow-up; translations are screening tools, not diagnostic tests.
Lives in the Balance — collaborative problem-solving guide
Follow Ross Greene’s free parent tour to identify recurring unsolved problems and learn how to discuss them collaboratively with your child before the next difficult moment.