Help for parents of autistic children in Montreal and Quebec

Plain-language guides to the Quebec system, with linked sources and clear review notes. This parent-led library uses AI-assisted drafts; specialist reviews are still pending on some pages. No miracle cures, no urgency, no ads. Just what we wish someone had told us, and a community of families who understand.

Start with where you are right now. Each door leads to the handful of pages that matter for that moment, in the order they matter.

Where are you right now?

• I'm worried →

  Is this autism, or am I overreacting?

  A daycare comment, no pointing at 15 months, lost words, a relative who said something.

• We're waiting for an assessment →

  What do we do while we wait?

  A referral is in. The public queue is long, or you are weighing a private assessment.

• We just got a diagnosis →

  What does this mean, and what do I do first?

  The report is in your hands. The first hundred days.

• We've been at this a while →

  Are we doing the right things? What comes next?

  Six months or more in. Services started or stalled. You want depth, evidence and other parents.

The library

34 pages so far, in eight sections ordered by need rather than alphabet. Browse everything.

• Recognition

  Early signs, screening, and what to say to your doctor.

• The Quebec pathway

  Public and private routes, who does what, money and paperwork.

• What actually helps

  The evidence on early support, and honest answers on contested claims.

• Regulation

  Sensory systems, meltdowns, movement. Your nervous system is the tool.

• Daily life

  Sleep, screens, music, outings that work.

• The family system

  Siblings, fathers, grandparents, and your own burnout.

• Identity and the long view

  What autistic adults wish their parents knew. Heredity. Prognosis honesty.

• Montreal and community

  The directory, the media worth following, and meetups.

How we work

Every page shows its reading time, its evidence level, and when it was last updated. Every claim that carries weight is tagged. When the science is contested, we say so and show both sides. When we get something wrong, the correction is public. Read the methodology.

The site is Quebec-specific on purpose: CLSC, RAMQ, Agir tôt, CPE, plan d'intervention, Retraite Québec. The specific answer is the useful one.

Meet other parents

We host small, calm meetups in Montreal. Next: Calm Morning at the Montreal Science Centre, Sunday, October 25, 2026. Reserve a spot or learn how they work.

One email a month at most, only about meetups and new guides.