A candid interview with autistic journalist Mathieu Caron introduces the Transforming Autism Care Consortium’s new directors, highlighting the network’s mandate and its commitment to community-engaged research.
This year marked a significant milestone for the Transforming Autism Care Consortium (TACC): official recognition by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) as one of Quebec’s thematic research networks. In the context of this new phase, autistic journalist Mathieu Caron sat down with TACC’s leadership—Dr. Mayada Elsabbagh, Director, and Dr. Mélanie Couture, Co-Director—for an in-depth interview as part of Les Entrevues Atypiques.
Watch Mathieu Caron’s interview with TACC’s Mayada Elsabbagh and Mélanie Couture
The conversation serves as a public introduction to the people behind the roles, while also providing insight into the network’s future direction. Dr. Elsabbagh emphasizes the importance of dismantling silos across sectors and disciplines, noting the progress made since TACC’s inception in 2017. “We began by identifying a key challenge: siloes,” she explains. “We’ve since worked to create structures that connect research with practice, and science with lived experience.”
Dr. Couture outlines her vision to ensure that this work reaches across linguistic, regional, and disciplinary boundaries. “The aim is a collaborative ecosystem,” she said, “where researchers, clinicians, families, and autistic individuals are co-driving priorities and sharing knowledge.”
By placing the interview in the hands of a journalist with lived and living experience, TACC also demonstrates its approach in action: elevating diverse voices and recognizing the expertise that comes from experience. The discussion underscores the network’s continuing evolution—from a provincial autism initiative into a multidisciplinary, cross-sector platform addressing neurodevelopmental research more broadly.
With FRQ support, TACC is now positioned to scale its impact, expand intersectoral collaboration, and contribute to more inclusive, evidence-based systems of care.
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Read the FRQ announcement, published February 9, 2024, online.