ANCA® Foundation is a non-profit national organization in Canada incorporated in 1998.
Short History:
The planing for the creation of ANCA® Foundation began in 1995 shortly after co-founder Leonora Gregory-Collura and her husband Charlie Collura created the ANCA® Consulting Inc. company which provided direct consulting services to autistic individuals and their families; professionals and other organizations providing services to people on the autism spectrum. These services were unique in that for the first time autistic people were teaching and training others about autism – From the Inside Out!
The ANCA® Foundation mandate is to organize and facilitate research, education, and greater awareness for the public to better understand autism and individuals on the autism spectrum.
Since 1998 ANCA® Foundation has sponsored numerous public gatherings and events – mini-conferences, panel discussions, art & literary shows – bringing together expertise from both autistic and non-autistic speakers and presenters in effort to increase greater awareness, respect and acceptance of autistic people in our communities both locally and globally.
This endeavor has grown to what is now known as the World Autism Festival first held in Vancouver in 2010.
ANCA® and Naturally Autistic® are the two Trademarks recognized all over the world as representing the ANCA® Family of organizations, coined by delegates who have attended this international event for the past 6 years. In 2016 September 30 – October 5, at the 7th annual event in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, the ANCA® World Autism Festival™ will host the first international Trade Show of it’s kind.
The name ANCA was coined after Leonora lost her daughter, Catherine in 1992, and along with her son Anthony (who was brain damaged at birth) and after her own diagnosis as an autistic individual, she wanted to create a legacy in the name of her two children. AN (ANthony), CA (CAtherine) – ANCA now stands for the Autistic Network for Community Achievement Join ANCA to become a member, it’s FREE.
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