Frequently Asked Questions - Registration

The CAN membership enables individuals and families living with autism in British Columbia to register for CAN programs, including sports and recreation programs, youth and young adult programs, and family events.

Members also have access to member benefits with different organizations, including Science World, Meridian Meats, and Airhouse.

CAN memberships are for individuals with an autism diagnosis living in British Columbia, Canada.

To sign up as a CAN member, you must first create an online membership account, accessible through www.canucksautism.ca. If you are a parent/guardian, you will create the account under your name, and then add your additional family members, including the individual(s) with autism. If you are an adult with autism registering themselves, you will create the account under your own name.

After you create your online account, you will then submit the following three items:

1. Proof of autism diagnosis – any physician signed document that clearly states the individual is on the autism spectrum,
2. Photos of the family members listed in your online account – for internal purposes only, for example we use them as a point of reference to help us identify who is in photos taken at programs,
3. Annual $25 membership fee – may be processed through online account.

Items may be emailed to [email protected], or sent by post to Canucks Autism Network, 1788 W 8^th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6Y 1V6.

Online registration for programs takes place throughout the year. To help members stay informed about upcoming programs and registration dates we use:

• Monthly email newsletter – this newsletter is sent at the start of each month, and lists registrations taking place that month
• Seasonal Leisure Guides – these seasonal guides lists program details, including registration information, for programs taking place during that season

Recent email newsletters and seasonal leisure guides are accessible through canucksautism.ca.

CAN members register for programs through their online account while registration is open. After registration closes, participants may submit a late registration request through email to [email protected], and they will be put on the waitlist for the program.

For our programs, we use a registration process we call Pending Enrolment Only, where there are no spots allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Rather, we have registration open for four days (Monday at noon to Friday at noon), and everyone who submits a request during this period will have their requests Pending. After registration closes, we review all requests received, make enrolment decisions, and follow up with all participants within a week following registration closing.

We use the Pending Enrolment Only process for registration for a few reasons:

• It allows us to accommodate as many individuals with autism as possible into our programs. For example, it avoids those who are quick on the computer securing multiple program spots, while someone who is not able to register right when registration opens missing the opportunity to access any programs.
• It helps to decrease members’ stress of signing up right when registration opens. This is helpful for those not comfortable with the computer, those who experience technical difficulties, or those who are unable to register right when registration opens because of work or other commitments.

Registration is open for a short period because we use the Pending Enrolment Only process. With all requests pending, we like to follow up with our members as soon as possible regarding the status of their requests, so that they have time to begin planning their upcoming schedules.

When submitting two or more registration requests for weekly programs, participants are able to rank their requests in order of preference. When reviewing requests after registration closes, we take into consideration these rankings.

The level of interest in a program is the impactful factor for enrolment decisions. Other factors include past registration history of participants, and the rankings provided by participants.

Since registration is not on a first-come, first-serve basis, we do not assign numbers to participants on program waitlists. If a spot becomes available for you, we will follow up with you through email.

If you are on the waitlist for a program it is because the program is at capacity. This means that for spot to open up for you it will require a confirmed participant to withdraw from the program. Unfortunately, we do not know the likelihood of a confirmed participant withdrawing. If a spot does become available for you, we will follow up with you through email to see if you are still interested in the program.

No. Participants who are not confirmed for a program are not covered by our insurance and are therefore not able to attend the program.

As well, the staff and volunteers at our programs are there to support those participants who are confirmed to attend, and we do not want them to be pulled away from providing this support.

If you have been confirmed for a program with a program fee, you will be informed in your registration update email of when to expect an invoice for payment. Once you receive notice that the invoice is available for payment, you may process payment by credit card through your online account, or we also have the following options:

• Autism Funding (for participants ages 6+yrs)
• Cash or Cheque
• CAN’s Fee Assistance Program
• Community Grants
• Open to other options – contact [email protected] if you have any questions

If you are going to miss a class (for whatever reason), please submit notice through the Report an Absence form. If we require additional information, we will follow up with you.

To withdraw from a program, you will email [email protected] with the participant’s first and last name, as well as the program name, location, and time.