Registration FAQ

When does registration take place?

Online registration for programs takes place throughout the year. To help members stay informed about upcoming programs, registration dates are communicated year-round via:

Monthly email newsletter – Sent each month to all members; lists all registration periods for CAN programs, as well as other opportunities within the community
Seasonal Program Guides – Lists program details, including registration information, for programs taking place during that season

How do I register for a program?

For programs that require a CAN membership (ie. children’s programs and most youth & adult rec programs), registration takes place through your online membership account. After registration closes, participants may submit a late registration request at canucksautism.ca/late, and they will be put on the waitlist for the program.

For family experiences, registration takes place through Eventbrite. Each family experience is password protected to ensure that they are exclusive to CAN members. The password is always communicated in the monthly member newsletter.

For programs that do not require a CAN membership (ie. select youth & adult programs), registration takes place through separate online forms. Stay up-to-date on all youth & adult registration opportunities via the monthly youth & adult newsletter.

Why is my registration request pending?

The following refers to programs registered through your CAN membership online account only. Note that registration for family experiences and select youth & adult opportunities open to non-members are done through separate registration systems.

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 six-and-a-half days (Monday at noon to Sunday at 11:59pm), 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.

Why is registration open for such a short period?

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.

I really want one program over another – what do I do?

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.

How are enrolment decisions made?

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.

Program Waitlists

Why am I being waitlisted?

Registration decisions are based on a variety of factors including the overall demand for a program, a participant’s registration history, and a family’s ability to access programming.

Demand for most programs is quite high, therefore, participants will not be accommodated into every program they wish to attend. At Canucks Autism Network, our goal is to accommodate as many unique individuals into programs as possible, and registration decisions are made with this objective in mind.

What is my place on the waitlist?

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.

When will I hear if I am taken off the waitlist and enrolled into the program?

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.

If I am waitlisted, can I show up to the program in case there is another participant who does not attend?

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.

Late Registration

What is late registration?

Late registration allows CAN members to submit program requests for opportunities that still have space remaining after the initial registration deadline. This process is done through CAN registration system.

Much like the standard registration process, CAN members will be able to rank their late registration requests in order of preference. All late registration requests will go to ‘PENDING ENROLMENT’.

Members can expect to receive an update on their late registration request 5-10 business days after submission.

When does late registration open for a program?

Late registration for weekly programs opens 2 weeks after the initial registration deadline.
Ie. if a program closed for registration on Sun, Feb 26, late registration will open on Mon, Mar 13 at noon.

Late registration for monthly opportunities opens 1 week after the initial registration deadline.
Ie. if a program closed for registration on Sun, Mar 19, late registration will open on Mon, Mar 27 at noon.

Late registration will open only if there is space remaining for that program — it will remain open until space for that program fills.

Members can expect to receive an update on their late registration request 5-10 business days after submission.

Why doesn’t late registration open immediately after the original registration deadline ends?

We receive thousands of program requests during each registration period. Before we determine which programs can re-open, our office needs to carefully review each request. This process typically takes between 1-2 weeks.

Why isn't late registration open to all programs?

If your desired program is not listed when late registration opens, this means that the program already has a waitlist. Although we accepted late registration requests for these programs in the past, the likelihood of members making it into the program when there was already a waitlist was very slim.

When will I hear back about my late registration request?

Much like the typical registration process, all late registration requests will first go to ‘PENDING ENROLMENT’ status. Our office team will review all requests after the late registration deadline. Members can expect to receive an update on their late registration request 5-10 business days after submission.

Program Fees

I am confirmed for a program with a program fee – how do I make payment?

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:

Through the autism funding provided by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (for ages 6+)
Credit card through the online CAN Membership account,
By cheque mailed to the CAN Office (1788 West 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1V6)
With cash at the CAN Office (1788 West 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1V6).

We do not wish for the financial cost to be a barrier for any individual or family wishing to participate in our programs. For info on our Fee Assistance Program, email [email protected].

What if I can't afford to pay for a program fee?

At Canucks Autism Network, we value accessibility and strive to eliminate financial barriers to program participation. If a program fee is a barrier for you or your family, we encourage you to submit a request for fee reduction or waiver through our Fee Assistance Program. Please e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Absences, Withdrawals or Changes

I am going to be away for a class during my program – who do I contact?

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.

I can no longer take part in a program I am confirmed to attend – what do I do?

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.

I would like to request a different program time. How do I make the request?

We do our best to accommodate all requests, however, we ask that families be flexible. Participants are placed into specific time slots in order to accommodate as many unique individuals as possible. Families are welcome to request a program time change by emailing [email protected]. We will do our best to accommodate, but please note that this may not always be possible.

Have a question about Canucks Autism Network programs and registration?

Frequently Asked Questions - Registration

Registration FAQ

Program Waitlists

Late Registration

Program Fees

Absences, Withdrawals or Changes

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Have a question about Canucks Autism Network programs and registration?

Frequently Asked Questions - Registration

Registration FAQ

Program Waitlists

Late Registration

Program Fees

Absences, Withdrawals or Changes