Resource and Training Centre
Building Neuroinclusive Communities
By sharing expertise, building capacity, and fostering collaboration, Giant Steps helps create environments where autistic individuals are better understood, supported, and included.
Advancing Inclusion Through Knowledge, Training, and Collaboration
Through its work, Giant Steps equips schools, businesses, public institutions, and families with the tools and knowledge needed to reduce barriers and create environments where autistic and neurodivergent individuals can thrive.
Building Capacity Across Sectors
The Centre delivers bilingual training programs, resources, and tailored strategies that support inclusion across education, employment, public services, and cultural life.
Training is offered both in person and online, and is designed to be practical, interactive, and grounded in real-world application. Sessions are often co-facilitated by autistic trainers, ensuring that lived experience remains central to learning.
Customized training pathways are available for:
- School boards and postsecondary institutions
- Employers across hospitality, retail, and corporate sectors
- Museums, cultural institutions, and public venues
- Police recruits and first responders
- Community organizations and government partners
Each engagement is adapted to the realities of the sector, supporting both immediate practice change and long-term capacity building.
From Training to Practice
Beyond training, the Centre works alongside organizations to embed inclusive practices into everyday operations. In collaboration with autistic individuals, families, and professionals, it develops practical tools designed for immediate use, including:
- Sensory kits and low-sensory space protocols
- Visual guides and pre-visit supports
- Inclusive hiring and onboarding frameworks
- Sector-specific training platforms, including the bilingual Xenia model for hospitality and tourism
These tools are adaptable and scalable, enabling organizations to move from awareness to action.
Empowering Autistic Voices
A defining feature of Giant Steps’ work is the leadership of autistic individuals in the design and delivery of its initiatives. Autistic adults contribute as trainers, mentors, and advisors across programs and partnerships.
This approach:
- Recognizes lived experience as essential expertise
- Creates meaningful, paid leadership opportunities
- Strengthens the relevance and impact of training
- Models inclusive hiring practices for partner organizations
By centring autistic voices, Giant Steps fosters deeper understanding and drives more authentic, systemic change.
Collaborative Innovation
The Resource and Training Centre leads a growing portfolio of cross-sector partnerships that demonstrate how inclusion can be implemented in real-world settings. These collaborations span employment, culture, public safety, and community life.
Examples include:
- Inclusive hiring and customer experience initiatives with St-Hubert
- Neuroinclusive practices at major venues such as the Bell Centre
- Airport accessibility simulations with ADM and Air Transat
- Employment pathways through partnerships with Fairmont Hotels
- Training initiatives with police services to improve emergency response
- Cultural accessibility work with organizations such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and
- Espace pour la vie
- The Angus Destination Neuroinclusive initiative, positioning a Montreal neighbourhood as a hub for inclusive employment
Resources for Families and Professionals
Building on its origins as a Documentation Centre over 25 years ago, the Centre maintains a curated collection of resources to support inclusive learning and development.
This includes:
- Reference materials on autism and neurodiversity
- Educational and communication tools
- Adapted resources to support daily living skills
Available by appointment, these resources support families, educators, and professionals in both home and community settings.
Caregiver Skills Training
The Caregiver Skills Training (CST) Program at Giant Steps supports parents, caregivers, and family members of autistic children and children with developmental differences by providing practical tools to foster communication, learning, and independence in everyday life.
Developed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, CST is grounded in evidence-based practices and designed to be accessible, flexible, and adaptable across diverse family contexts.
Shaping the Future of Inclusion
The Centre also contributes to the development of future professionals by offering placements and mentorship opportunities for students in education, social services, and related fields. Its broader impact is reflected in:
- Increased access to employment, services, and community life for autistic individuals
- Stronger, more inclusive workplaces and public environments
- A growing shift from awareness to meaningful inclusion
Get Involved
The Resource and Training Centre partners with organizations ready to embed neuroinclusion into their practices.
Whether through training, consultation, or collaborative initiatives, the Centre supports organizations in building environments where everyone can participate and contribute.