March 10 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
How do you end or leave a conversation when it’s time to go? In this workshop, we’ll talk about strategies you can learn and practice to help you leave a conversation or end a conversation in tactful ways whether that’s through one-on-one or group conversations.
In this workshop, you will gain the skills and knowledge to:
- Discuss strategies for exiting conversations
- Recognize disinterest in communication
- Manage rejection & moving forward
- Set the stage for future engagements
Tuesday, March 10
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Ave NW)
There is no cost to attend this drop-in workshop
This workshop is designed to provide Autistic and neurodivergent individuals opportunities to learn and practice essential social communication skills in a safe and welcoming setting. Participants will be provided with information, tips, and strategies intended to help in day-to-day social situations.
About the Presenter:
Yonatan Tesfagiorgis is a Life Skills Coach at The Sinneave Family Foundation and has been working with neurodivergent and Autistic individuals for over 8 years. He strives to offer skill building strategies using a neuro affirming framework and aspires to provide an inclusive space for all individuals.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403-210-5000. We’re here to help.
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March 3 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Starting a conversation with someone new or joining in a conversation that is already underway can be difficult. In this workshop, we will learn and practice a few strategies to help you enter into conversations more confidently whether that’s through one-on-one or group conversations.
In this workshop, you will gain the skills and knowledge to:
- Feel more comfortable and confident in your communication skills
- Explain what is required for good conversation
- Identify ways to find a good conversation partner and show you’re interested in talking
- Practice strategies for starting and continuing conversations
- Prepare a list of future conversation topics
- Practice troubleshooting communication experiences
Tuesday, March 3
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Ave NW)
There is no cost to attend this drop-in workshop
This workshop is designed to provide Autistic and neurodivergent individuals opportunities to learn and practice essential social communication skills in a safe and welcoming setting. Participants will be provided with information, tips, and strategies intended to help in day-to-day social situations.
About the Presenter:
Yonatan Tesfagiorgis is a Life Skills Coach at The Sinneave Family Foundation and has been working with neurodivergent and Autistic individuals for over 8 years. He strives to offer skill building strategies using a neuro affirming framework and aspires to provide an inclusive space for all individuals.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403 210-5000. We’re here to help.
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February 11 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
As young adults are transitioning into employment, caregivers are transitioning from the role of Manager to the role of Consultant for their young adults. This transition is challenging for all parties, and it can create tension and feelings of stress and anxiety. Please note caregivers do not need to be parents in order to attend this workshop. Caregivers can be supportive roommates, natural supports, or family members.
In this strengths-based workshop, we will discuss strategies and tools that can help make space for shared learning and growth within the family and natural support network during this transition.
Participants will gain the knowledge and skills to:
- Define the transition to independence for their young adult, and the transition from manager to consultant for themselves
- Reflect on their own needs and expectations for the process so that they may better support themselves and their young adult
- Use strengths-based tools and strategies to create a strong starting point for conversations about employment
- Identify resources in the community that support caregivers and young adults through this transition
Wednesday, February 11
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Avenue NW)
This workshop compliments The Sinneave Family Foundation’s Family Work Readiness Toolkit (FWRT), a practical, strengths-based resource designed to help youth explore their interests, skills, values, and preferred work environments. In this workshop, we will be focusing on the Embrace Independence module of the toolkit.
** Space in this session is limited, and advance registration is required through Sinneave Connects. If there are no spots available, you can sign up to be placed on a waiting list and a member of our team will reach out to you if spots open up.**
There is no cost to attend. Sinneave Connects is free, but you need to register for an account to use it.
If you already have a Sinneave Connects account, just log in as usual. If you have not registered yet, it’s easy! Click the button that says, “Sinneave Connects” to access the hub and follow these steps:
- Create a user name
- Create a password (don’t forget to save it someplace handy!)
- Select “Register”
- Choose the Building Your Toolbox for Caregivers: Beginning the Transition from Manager to Consultant – February 11, 2026 session.
- Click on the, “Choose session” button, and then press Confirm.
About the Presenter:
Stéphanie Chapman is a Bilingual Online Program Facilitator for the EmploymentWorks program. She has 15+ years of professional experience in the fields of education and disability across the lifespan, and personally as a caregiver. Stéphanie is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for families of all shapes and sizes to learn and grow together.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403-210-5000. We’re here to help.
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February 10 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Much of our everyday communication involves non-verbal body language and unwritten social rules. Many Autistic or neurodivergent people find it challenging to navigate social situations because they have a hard time interpreting various forms of non-verbal communication.
Some forms of non-verbal communication can include facial expressions, posture, eye contact, or hand gestures. The good news is these skills can be learned!
In this session, you will have the opportunity to:
- Develop a strong foundation in understanding non-verbal cues in shared communication
- Discuss strategies for understanding non-verbal cues
- Receive tips to improve your non-verbal communication skills
Tuesday, February 10
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Online via Sinneave Connects
There is no cost to attend
This workshop is designed to provide Autistic and neurodivergent individuals opportunities to learn and practice essential social communication skills in a safe and welcoming setting. Participants will be provided with information, tips, and strategies intended to help in day-to-day social situations.
If you register in advance you’ll be notified of any last minute changes to the schedule.
This workshop is virtual, via Sinneave Connects, our online learning hub. If you already have a Sinneave Connects account, just log in as usual. If you have not registered yet, it’s easy! Click the button that says “Sinneave Connects” to access the hub and follow these steps:
- Create a user name
- Create a password (don’t forget to save it someplace handy)
- Select “Register”
- Choose the Social Communication Workshop: The Art of Non-verbal Communication – February 10, 2026 course to access the virtual link.
- Click on the, “Choose session” button, and then press Confirm.
About the Presenter:
Yonatan Tesfagiorgis is a Life Skills Coach at The Sinneave Family Foundation and has been working with neurodivergent and Autistic individuals for over 8 years. He strives to offer skill building strategies using a neuro affirming framework and provides an inclusive space for all individuals.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403 210-5000. We’re here to help.
Related Events
February 4 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Navigating the healthcare system can often feel overwhelming — from knowing which provider to see, to preparing for appointments, asking the right questions, and managing follow-up care. To support individuals in these everyday situations, we have developed four new micro-eLearning modules, which are available on Sinneave Connects, our online learning hub:
- Figure Out Who to See,
- Plan for Your Next Health Appointment,
- Communicate Effectively During Appointments, and
- Take Charge of Follow-Up Care.
In this 60-minute session, participants will be introduced to each module, learn how these resources can support them in different stages of the healthcare journey, and how to access them for ongoing use. The session is designed to build awareness of the modules and spark interest in applying them when navigating healthcare.
Wednesday, February 4
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Online via Sinneave Connects
There is no cost to attend this session. Sinneave Connects is free, but you need to register for an account to use it.
If you already have a Sinneave Connects account, just log in as usual. If you have not registered yet, it’s easy! Click the button that says, “Sinneave Connects” and follow these steps:
- Create a user name
- Create a password (don’t forget to save it someplace handy!)
- Select “Register”
- Choose the Navigating Healthcare: From Planning to Follow-Up – February 4, 2026 session.
- Click on the, “Choose session” button, and then press Confirm.
About the Presenter:
Alexandra (Ali) Skeet is a Learning and Connection Associate at The Sinneave Family Foundation. She delivers the Information and Navigation service where she has the pleasure to meet with Autistic and neurodivergent individuals one-on-one to provide consistent, person-centred information, and navigate individuals to Sinneave programs and services and/or community-based resources.
If you have questions, please reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403 210-5000. We’re here to help.
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February 5 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Communication can feel effortless one moment and confusing or frustrating the next. Many different factors can make conversations run smoothly (or lead to misunderstandings).
Participants will have an opportunity to understand why miscommunication happens and feel more confident navigating it. We’ll explore topics like:
- What is really happening when we communicate
- Common reasons for miscommunication
- How to anticipate and prevent misunderstandings
- How to address and repair miscommunication when it happens
Thursday, February 5
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Ave NW)
There is no cost to attend this drop-in workshop
This workshop is designed to provide Autistic and neurodivergent individuals opportunities to learn and practice essential social communication skills in a safe and welcoming setting. Participants will be provided with information, tips, and strategies intended to help in day-to-day social situations.
About the Presenter:
Kristen Coglon is a Life Skills Coach at The Sinneave Family Foundation, with more than 10 years working in the Human Services field. Her experiences have been working with individuals across the lifespan, and she has gained valuable skills and knowledge that contribute to her daily work. Kristen is a passionate and empathetic person who is happy to be a listening ear, supportive coach and an advocate for Autistic and neurodivergent adults.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call 403 210-5000. We’re here to help.
Related Events
March 4 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
What now? Discovering autism later in life can be both liberating and disorienting. Many Autistic adults describe feeling “between worlds” no longer fitting the old stories they were told about themselves, yet still uncertain how to embrace a new way forward. Living The Good Life offers held space to share this journey with others who “get it”, so you don’t have to navigate it alone, while exploring new possibilities for identity, connection, and meaning.
This peer-facilitated drop-in group is for adults who are newly diagnosed, late-identified, or newly aware/self-diagnosed Autistic, and who are navigating the early stages of understanding what that means. Together, we explore what it means to “be Autistic” through storytelling, connection, reflection, and lived experience.
At its heart, this series is about beginning again from the other side of this liminal space. It isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination but stepping into an ongoing process of your becoming. Discovering, learning, and shaping your own path.
Wednesdays, January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4, 2026
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Avenue NW)
This is not a therapy group. It is a space for mutual support, co-regulation, and honest, non-performative conversation. Everyone enters as an equal. Not as experts (including the facilitator) but as people, uncovering something we’ve always been.
Led by an Autistic facilitator(s) who are walking this road themselves, each session offers space to unmask, grieve, reframe, and slowly rebuild. Together, we’ll witness and support one another as we navigate loss, joy, hope, and the beginnings of a new relationship with ourselves, on our own terms.
Please note: This space is exclusively for people who identify as Autistic and are in the early stages of that discovery. It is not intended for allies, parents, professionals, or those who are curious but do not personally identify. This boundary ensures participants can share openly without explanation or justification.
The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive, non-clinical peer-led space for Autistic adults who are newly, late, or self-identified, to begin exploring what it means to live authentically for themselves after diagnosis.
In this pilot series, participants will:
- Engage with their feelings and reactions openly, recognizing that all emotions are valid (and can be “ACT’d” on) and important to their journey.
- Build trust in themselves again, their instincts, and their experiences as they navigate new understandings of identity.
- Explore life as an ongoing process, focusing on growth, self-discovery, and meaningful connection rather than fixed outcomes (or this is the “right way to…”), that they may have been stuck in.
- Witness and be witnessed (Leave grounded) by peers, fostering a sense of belonging, validation, and mutual support; Triaged support so people don’t have to do it alone.
- Begin cultivating a more authentic relationship with themselves, learning to move toward a personally meaningful version of their “the good life.”
**You can drop-in to any or all of the sessions, there is no cost to attend. **
About the Presenter:
Ryan Elkanah is a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult with lived experience navigating identity, masking, mental health, burnout, and loss, as well as reclaiming agency. They bring a neuro-affirming, values-driven, strength-based, and trauma-informed lens to peer support, grounded in experience as an Autistic self-advocate and facilitator at Sinneave.
With backgrounds in community development and youth work, Ryan creates and holds spaces for authentic connection, reflection, and witnessing. A lifelong learner, they are passionate about supporting those who have been misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked, helping participants explore their own paths toward living authentically and embracing the ongoing process of self-discovery.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call (403) 210-5000. We’re here to help.
Related Events
February 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
What now? Discovering autism later in life can be both liberating and disorienting. Many Autistic adults describe feeling “between worlds” no longer fitting the old stories they were told about themselves, yet still uncertain how to embrace a new way forward. Living The Good Life offers held space to share this journey with others who “get it”, so you don’t have to navigate it alone, while exploring new possibilities for identity, connection, and meaning.
This peer-facilitated drop-in group is for adults who are newly diagnosed, late-identified, or newly aware/self-diagnosed Autistic, and who are navigating the early stages of understanding what that means. Together, we explore what it means to “be Autistic” through storytelling, connection, reflection, and lived experience.
At its heart, this series is about beginning again from the other side of this liminal space. It isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination but stepping into an ongoing process of your becoming. Discovering, learning, and shaping your own path.
Wednesdays, January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4, 2026
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Avenue NW)
This is not a therapy group. It is a space for mutual support, co-regulation, and honest, non-performative conversation. Everyone enters as an equal. Not as experts (including the facilitator) but as people, uncovering something we’ve always been.
Led by an Autistic facilitator(s) who are walking this road themselves, each session offers space to unmask, grieve, reframe, and slowly rebuild. Together, we’ll witness and support one another as we navigate loss, joy, hope, and the beginnings of a new relationship with ourselves, on our own terms.
Please note: This space is exclusively for people who identify as Autistic and are in the early stages of that discovery. It is not intended for allies, parents, professionals, or those who are curious but do not personally identify. This boundary ensures participants can share openly without explanation or justification.
The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive, non-clinical peer-led space for Autistic adults who are newly, late, or self-identified, to begin exploring what it means to live authentically for themselves after diagnosis.
In this pilot series, participants will:
- Engage with their feelings and reactions openly, recognizing that all emotions are valid (and can be “ACT’d” on) and important to their journey.
- Build trust in themselves again, their instincts, and their experiences as they navigate new understandings of identity.
- Explore life as an ongoing process, focusing on growth, self-discovery, and meaningful connection rather than fixed outcomes (or this is the “right way to…”), that they may have been stuck in.
- Witness and be witnessed (Leave grounded) by peers, fostering a sense of belonging, validation, and mutual support; Triaged support so people don’t have to do it alone.
- Begin cultivating a more authentic relationship with themselves, learning to move toward a personally meaningful version of their “the good life.”
**You can drop-in to any or all of the sessions, there is no cost to attend. **
About the Presenter:
Ryan Elkanah is a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult with lived experience navigating identity, masking, mental health, burnout, and loss, as well as reclaiming agency. They bring a neuro-affirming, values-driven, strength-based, and trauma-informed lens to peer support, grounded in experience as an Autistic self-advocate and facilitator at Sinneave.
With backgrounds in community development and youth work, Ryan creates and holds spaces for authentic connection, reflection, and witnessing. A lifelong learner, they are passionate about supporting those who have been misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked, helping participants explore their own paths toward living authentically and embracing the ongoing process of self-discovery.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call (403) 210-5000. We’re here to help.
Related Events
February 4 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
What now? Discovering autism later in life can be both liberating and disorienting. Many Autistic adults describe feeling “between worlds” no longer fitting the old stories they were told about themselves, yet still uncertain how to embrace a new way forward. Living The Good Life offers held space to share this journey with others who “get it”, so you don’t have to navigate it alone, while exploring new possibilities for identity, connection, and meaning.
This peer-facilitated drop-in group is for adults who are newly diagnosed, late-identified, or newly aware/self-diagnosed Autistic, and who are navigating the early stages of understanding what that means. Together, we explore what it means to “be Autistic” through storytelling, connection, reflection, and lived experience.
At its heart, this series is about beginning again from the other side of this liminal space. It isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination but stepping into an ongoing process of your becoming. Discovering, learning, and shaping your own path.
Wednesdays, January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4, 2026
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Avenue NW)
This is not a therapy group. It is a space for mutual support, co-regulation, and honest, non-performative conversation. Everyone enters as an equal. Not as experts (including the facilitator) but as people, uncovering something we’ve always been.
Led by an Autistic facilitator(s) who are walking this road themselves, each session offers space to unmask, grieve, reframe, and slowly rebuild. Together, we’ll witness and support one another as we navigate loss, joy, hope, and the beginnings of a new relationship with ourselves, on our own terms.
Please note: This space is exclusively for people who identify as Autistic and are in the early stages of that discovery. It is not intended for allies, parents, professionals, or those who are curious but do not personally identify. This boundary ensures participants can share openly without explanation or justification.
The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive, non-clinical peer-led space for Autistic adults who are newly, late, or self-identified, to begin exploring what it means to live authentically for themselves after diagnosis.
In this pilot series, participants will:
- Engage with their feelings and reactions openly, recognizing that all emotions are valid (and can be “ACT’d” on) and important to their journey.
- Build trust in themselves again, their instincts, and their experiences as they navigate new understandings of identity.
- Explore life as an ongoing process, focusing on growth, self-discovery, and meaningful connection rather than fixed outcomes (or this is the “right way to…”), that they may have been stuck in.
- Witness and be witnessed (Leave grounded) by peers, fostering a sense of belonging, validation, and mutual support; Triaged support so people don’t have to do it alone.
- Begin cultivating a more authentic relationship with themselves, learning to move toward a personally meaningful version of their “the good life.”
**You can drop-in to any or all of the sessions, there is no cost to attend. **
About the Presenter:
Ryan Elkanah is a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult with lived experience navigating identity, masking, mental health, burnout, and loss, as well as reclaiming agency. They bring a neuro-affirming, values-driven, strength-based, and trauma-informed lens to peer support, grounded in experience as an Autistic self-advocate and facilitator at Sinneave.
With backgrounds in community development and youth work, Ryan creates and holds spaces for authentic connection, reflection, and witnessing. A lifelong learner, they are passionate about supporting those who have been misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked, helping participants explore their own paths toward living authentically and embracing the ongoing process of self-discovery.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call (403) 210-5000. We’re here to help.
Related Events
January 21 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
What now? Discovering autism later in life can be both liberating and disorienting. Many Autistic adults describe feeling “between worlds” no longer fitting the old stories they were told about themselves, yet still uncertain how to embrace a new way forward. Living The Good Life offers held space to share this journey with others who “get it”, so you don’t have to navigate it alone, while exploring new possibilities for identity, connection, and meaning.
This peer-facilitated drop-in group is for adults who are newly diagnosed, late-identified, or newly aware/self-diagnosed Autistic, and who are navigating the early stages of understanding what that means. Together, we explore what it means to “be Autistic” beyond the clinical lens through storytelling, connection, reflection, and lived experience.
At its heart, this series is about beginning again from the other side of this liminal space. It isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination but stepping into an ongoing process of your becoming. Discovering, learning, and shaping your own path.
Wednesdays, January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4, 2026
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In-person at The Ability Hub (300, 3820 24 Avenue NW)
This is not a therapy group. It is a space for mutual support, co-regulation, and honest, non-performative conversation. Everyone enters as an equal. Not as experts (including the facilitator) but as people, uncovering something we’ve always been.
Led by an Autistic facilitator(s) who are walking this road themselves, each session offers space to unmask, grieve, reframe, and slowly rebuild. Together, we’ll witness and support one another as we navigate loss, joy, hope, and the beginnings of a new relationship with ourselves, on our own terms.
Please note: This space is exclusively for people who identify as Autistic and are in the early stages of that discovery. It is not intended for allies, parents, professionals, or those who are curious but do not personally identify. This boundary ensures participants can share openly without explanation or justification.
The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive, non-clinical peer-led space for Autistic adults who are newly, late, or self-identified, to begin exploring what it means to live authentically for themselves after diagnosis.
In this pilot series, participants will:
- Engage with their feelings and reactions openly, recognizing that all emotions are valid (and can be “ACT’d” on) and important to their journey.
- Build trust in themselves again, their instincts, and their experiences as they navigate new understandings of identity.
- Explore life as an ongoing process, focusing on growth, self-discovery, and meaningful connection rather than fixed outcomes (or this is the “right way to…”), that they may have been stuck in.
- Witness and be witnessed (Leave grounded) by peers, fostering a sense of belonging, validation, and mutual support; Triaged support so people don’t have to do it alone.
- Begin cultivating a more authentic relationship with themselves, learning to move toward a personally meaningful version of their “the good life.”
** Space in these sessions are limited, and advance registration is not required. You can drop-in to any or all of the sessions, there is no cost to attend. **
About the Presenter:
Ryan Elkanah is a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult with lived experience navigating identity, masking, mental health, burnout, and loss, as well as reclaiming agency. They bring a neuro-affirming, values-driven, strength-based, and trauma-informed lens to peer support, grounded in experience as an Autistic self-advocate and facilitator at Sinneave.
With backgrounds in community development and youth work, Ryan creates and holds spaces for authentic connection, reflection, and witnessing. A lifelong learner, they are passionate about supporting those who have been misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked, helping participants explore their own paths toward living authentically and embracing the ongoing process of self-discovery.
If you have questions, reach out to info@sinneavefoundation.org or call (403) 210-5000. We’re here to help.