April 2 is World Autism Acceptance Day – a time to shine a spotlight, promote acceptance, and celebrate the successes of those living with autism.

We want to highlight two HRCE Autism Specialists and their work to support Learning Centre teachers and their students with autism.

Laurie-Ann Bryden and Elizabeth Collett bring years of knowledge, best practices and teaching experience to their current role as Autism Specialists with HRCE. Much of their shared experience was spent in the Learning Centre – a classroom where students with complex needs receive specialized support throughout the school day.

Bryden found inspiration for becoming a teacher from her brother who faced learning challenges when he was in school, and from the time she spent as a child with her aunt who worked with those with learning differences. 

“The connection is very personal,” Bryden says. “I wanted to be an educator because I wanted to help students like my brother. I also spent a great deal of time with my aunt in her work and learned from an early age about acceptance.”

Collett explains that she comes from a family of teachers, her father being one, and someone who exposed her to inclusive education at an early age. “Teaching was absolutely the right fit for me,” she smiles. Her mother was also a teacher and fostered in her the value of supporting and mentoring others' learning and growth.

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Making an impact

In January 2025, the two introduced a new pilot initiative called the Learning Lounge – virtual professional development sessions for Learning Centre teachers, specific to their work with students with autism. Bryden and Collett currently lead a one-hour Learning Lounge session together biweekly for six Learning Centre teachers from different schools. The group explores evidence-based strategies designed to support student success. They also problem solve challenges and provide feedback to one another while celebrating the successes of those in their care. It’s a space where curiosity, creativity and growth come together.

Bryden and Collet wanted to test the Learning Lounge concept with a few teachers first after they heard there was interest in a session like this. Most of the participants are new in their role, with some more experienced to help provide advice and support. The vision was to create an informal and positive space for these teachers to come together and feel empowered to bring their learned knowledge back to colleagues in support of their students.

Jennifer Landry-Reid is a Learning Lounge participant and has worked as a Learning Centre teacher at West Bedford School for two years now. Prior to this role, she spent 25 years in the classroom teaching mainly Grade Primary students.

“I am new to this position, and I value the knowledge that is shared between my colleagues and specialists,” she says. “We have talked about many strategies to help students participate in classroom activities successfully and inclusively. 

One thing that we talked about was how to implement these strategies using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach. Using First/Then language may be helpful for many students in the room. Using visuals (and allowing more processing time) or giving a student a break card outside during recess could always be used for the whole class. We build our classroom community when everyone is using the same language.”

Lindsay Smith has been a Learning Centre teacher for 15 years. 

“It has been nice to share what I have found has worked over the years and what hasn’t,” Smith says. “It’s also nice to hear what other Learning Centre teachers are doing in their schools, and I have picked up tips that I can adapt to support my students.”

Both Bryden and Collett agree that they value the progress, connections and relationships made through the Learning Lounge. The pair hope to be able to open the sessions to others soon to have greater impact.

“It fills us with joy.”

This professional development is being offered by invitation only based on available space and the relevance of the content. If staff are interested in future learning opportunities, they should contact Laurie-Ann Bryden (lmacintyre-bryden@hrce.ca ) and Elizabeth Collett (ecollett@hrce.ca).