Members Driving Community Impact
A Lifelong Difference: Supporting AEIOU’s Early Intervention Autism Centre in Canberra
We are proud to have played a founding role in bringing the AEIOU Early Intervention Autism Centre to Canberra and to continue supporting its operations through one of our major long-term partnerships.
Before the centre opened its doors, local families with young children diagnosed with autism were faced with a heartbreaking choice: relocate interstate to access early intervention therapy or go without. For many, this meant leaving behind their homes, jobs, and support networks in pursuit of specialised care their children urgently needed.
Recognising the critical gap in local services, we partnered with the AEIOU Foundation to make this essential resource available in the Canberra region. Our support enabled the establishment and construction of a purpose-built centre that now provides life-changing early intervention to hundreds of children aged 2 to 6.
But our commitment didn’t stop at bricks and mortar. We are proud to support the AEIOU Centre through ongoing operational funding, ensuring that families across the ACT and surrounding areas continue to access the care they need close to home, and supported by community.
The AEIOU Canberra Region Centre has become the national blueprint for all future AEIOU sites. Designed specifically for young children with autism, it features calm, sensory-sensitive environments and structured learning spaces that promote communication, behaviour regulation, social skills, and independence. It’s a place where children learn, grow, and gain confidence during their most formative years, and where families are wrapped in understanding and support.
The impact is felt deeply by those who walk through its doors. One local parent shared:
Before AEIOU opened in Canberra, we were considering moving interstate just to access support. Having this Centre here has changed everything for our son, and for us. We’re incredibly grateful to the John James Foundation for helping make this possible.
It’s stories like this that remind us why early intervention matters. When children are supported early, they have the best possible chance to thrive. When families are empowered, whole communities grow stronger.
The AEIOU Centre in Canberra represents what can be achieved when two organisations come together with a shared purpose: to create opportunity, inclusion, and hope. Through our partnership with AEIOU Foundation, we’re helping ensure that no family in the ACT has to face the autism journey alone.
We are proud to continue walking alongside AEIOU, supporting children and families at the start of their journey and building a legacy of lifelong impact.
To learn more or support the AEIOU Canberra Region Centre, visit:
aeiou.org.au