There were several hot-button issues that dominated the headlines this year, but autism was easily one of the most contentious.

Since January, advocacy groups across the country have protested the lack of available services for children with autism. Misinformation continues to run rampant, with some Canadian parents still turning to dangerous “cures” for autism — like bleach — against the advice of medical professionals.

Long wait times for aid and questionable treatment of people with autism also remain top concerns for members of the community.

But it wasn’t all bad. 2019 was also a year of advancement and discovery for autism researchers, and according to experts, this has helped the broader society develop a more meaningful understanding about what it means to have autism.

“I think there’s a movement towards valuing neurodiversity and … acknowledging autism as a form of disability, but also seeing the importance of accepting difference,” said Stephen Gentles, an autism researcher at the Offord Centre for Child Studies in Hamilton, Ont.

“People are starting to see the value in the different ways that people are wired.”

Evdokia Anagnostou, a senior clinician scientist at Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto, agrees.

“I’m not saying there is no stigma. There’s plenty of stigma,” she said.

Anagnostou believes public figures like Greta Thunberg, who is on the autism spectrum, have greatly contributed to this shift.

Here, Gentles and Anagnostou share what they learned in 2019 — and what they hope will be achieved in 2020.

‘Precision medicine for autism’

How scientists understand the needs of people on the autism spectrum has vastly shifted over the last 12 months.

Through a series of recent studies, doctors and scientists have a better understanding of how both genetics and environment contribute to each individual experience of autism.

“How much do genes contribute versus how much the environment contributes?” said Anagnostou.

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