Member Spotlight: Autism Aspergers Friendship Society of Calgary

AAFS provides respite care in a social and recreational environment for children, youth and adults on the spectrum of Autism; this includes, but is not limited to, Autism, Aspergers, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder.

Mission & Story

AAFS MISSION is to provide an accepting environment for members of the Autism Community where they can cultivate friendships, develop social skills, and connect to the greater community.

AAFS VISION is a world in which there are no barriers to acceptance; a world where everyone is afforded a socially and recreationally fulfilling life. 

Our values are what will ensure this vision succeeds and show how we make this happen in our daily work. 

  1. Community Everyone deserves community in every sense of the word. We create community, we build community and we are community. 
  2. Acceptance: We recognize that acceptance needs to start with the self and we teach acceptance in all that we do. We want our members to be accepted in their communities and to come to a place of acceptance for themselves. 
  3. Relationships: A genuine relationship is a lasting relationship. This approach not only affects our members, but also keeps our staff and volunteers engaged in AAFS while they are with us and long after they move on. Our relationship-based approach makes us more than an organization, it makes us a family.
  4. Adventure and Risk: Adventure is an integral part of life and often life’s most important lessons involve an element of risk. We provide a safe environment for our members to calculate risk and seek adventure.
  5. Resiliency: Resiliency is proven to be linked to long-term success in almost every walk of life. We provide opportunities for our members to build resiliency. We do this by creating an environment in which they learn how to solve problems and bounce back from tough situations. 
  6. Play– Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children, youth and adults. WE LOVE and LIVE TO PLAY!
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