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Embrace Autism is
brought to you by:

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht

MSc in Applied Psychology
ND RP
Co-founder, psychotherapist,
diagnostician & researcher
diagnosed at 46

&

Eva Silvertant

BA in Graphic Design
MSc in Psychology (in process)
Co-founder, art director,
graphic designer & researcher
diagnosed at 25
 

About us

Dissatisfied with the lack of information available on autism in adults,
in 2018 we founded Embrace Autism, which we intended as a platform
to distribute research and experience-based information on autism.

We did this as a way to empower ourselves and fellow autistics.
Because for many of us, we don’t come to fully understand and appreciate ourselves until we find out that we are autistic, and find out more about what this entails.

Quality autism information can help us make sense of our lives, it can help us discover who we are and the amazing potential we have, and it can help us acknowledge the beauty and splendor in ourselves and each other.

And of course, Embrace Autism is also a vessel to share our own
interest in autism, and our explorations in the research literature.
Because, we greatly enjoy the learning process, are excited to share our findings, and get invigorated by the empowering effect it has on
autistic people like us.

Although we are based near Toronto, Canada,
we’re active on a global scale, with a diverse team
of autistic people from Canada, the US, Australia,
the Netherlands, and more to come!

An illustration of the Embrace Autism team. Embrace Autism | About | About TheEmbraceAutismTeam hover

We are passionate about helping autistic people,
but we are not alone in our mission.

Meet our fantastic team of autistic people:

Our team

Mission

Our core mission is to help autistic people understand who they are,
and help them acknowledge their worth; and for their family, friends, teachers, potential employers, and others to better understand autism
and its often-overlooked benefits.

Because autism doesn’t just come with challenges to overcome;
once you dig deeper, an amazing and intriguing world will be revealed!

In pursuit of our mission, we focus on the following areas:

Advocacy

We advocate for positive representation of autism, with resources that benefit autistic individuals and our community.

Education

We provide education & training to autistic people, families, first responders, and service professionals.

Diagnosis

We are qualified to offer autism-friendly autism assessments, and have contributed to improving the diagnostic process for autistic women.

Research

We promote, communicate, and conduct research that focuses on the needs of autistic people, with a focus on self-actualization and growth.

Tools

We provide documentation on various autism tests and other psychometrics, and other resources for self-growth.

Hope

We provide inspiration, hope, and empowerment through research-based information, positive messaging, and community support.

Self-discovery

The road to self-discovery can be long and arduous for anyone;
but for autistics, answers can be particularly difficult to find.
The realization that we’re autistic is often buried from sight within a confusing maze of myths, fears, and fundamentally bad information.

When the epiphany finally hits us, and we discover that we’re autistic, many of us go through a period of mourning and deep self-evaluation, based primarily on an outdated notion that autism is bad.

In our view, this opinion is caused by a lack of understanding,
education, and—ultimately—a flawed set of beliefs about
what it means to be a successful human being.

In fact, the more we delve into the specific neurology that
underlies autism, the more we realize it can be a true gift.
Not just for celebrated geniuses such as Cavendish, Mozart,
Einstein, Wittgenstein, or Dirac (all of whom are thought to
have been autistic), but for all of us!

Those quirks and eccentricities you’ve probably spent your life
trying to hide are part of your specialized, unique, neurology.
You might not only come to acknowledge that fact,
but indeed, come to embrace it.

We would love to help
you come to that place!

Embrace Autism symbol

Pledge

We at Embrace Autism pledge to work
tirelessly on behalf of fellow autistic people
as advocates, educators, and researchers;
towards creating a community of neurodiverse
acceptance, understanding, self-actualization,
and self-empowerment

Hannah Gadsby, peeking over a wall. Embrace Autism | About | About portrait HannahGadsby2 hover

Autism test results

Below you can see how Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht
& Eva Silvertant scored on various autism tests

Autism test results of Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht & Eva Silvertant. Embrace Autism | About | About AutismResultsB

Autism tests:

AQ-10 | AQ | EQ | SQ | RAADS–R | Aspie Quiz | Cat-Q

More information

Would you like to know more about us? Read our
‘About me’ posts to find out what occupies our minds:

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP
Eva Silvertant

If you have any questions,
feel free to contact us