ASO (non-profit)

ASO, formerly the Asperger's Society of Ontario, is a not-for-profit organization based in Ontario, Canada that supports those with Level 1 autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their families and caregivers, and other relevant parties. Founded in 2000 by parents of autistic children (specifically those given the now-defunct Asperger syndrome label) and psychiatric professionals, ASO also seeks to spread educational information about autism and, as stated on their website, "enable individuals with Level 1 ASD to realize their potential as fully contributing members of their community".

The services offered by ASO include a toll-free action line called "AsperLink", which connects callers to resources and services. In the past they have also offered an adult social group, which is currently paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 name change

In 2018, the society considered changing its name from the "Asperger's Society of Ontario" after revelations of Hans Asperger's links to the [...] euthanasia program. An internal poll of members found that 86 preferred to say they had Asperger syndrome, while 19 preferred the term "autistic". In November 2020, the organization was rebranded to ASO.

External links