The library was full of robots.

The robot whirred and clicked as it rolled across the library carpet. Akira Kaushal watched intently as the robot he built and programmed paused, pivoted sharply, and began to roll back towards him, stopping at his feet.

Akira smiled gently as he picked up the robot and carefully held it in both hands.

“It’s fun,” he announced.

Akira was attending the First Robot Challenge held in the school library at Norman Bethune Secondary School, in Scarborough Ontario, held in conjunction with the school’s robotics team and Autism Ontario.

“He’s always had an interest in robotics,” said Akira’s father, Vikas Kaushal, watching his son interact with the robot.  Akira, like the other attendees at the event, assembled the robots from sophisticated Lego construction kits and programmed basic movement directions into them via a laptop.

Around the library, other young autistic people worked on their robots. At a corner table, Matthew Downey-Mateo sat beside his mother, Sharlena Downey, as he slowly pieced together his own robot.

“He's enjoying himself,” smiled Sharlena as she watched her son at work.  “This is his very first time doing the robotics Lego challenge, but he likes building with Legos.”

Sharlena nodded as she watched Matthew assemble his robot. “What's it mean to me? It means that mommy's happy. He's found another outlet. He's an artist.”

Matthew sketches comic book heroes and works in clay, but robotics was completely new for him. “He was a little nervous coming in tonight," Sharlena said. For her, having people present who understand autism is why Autism Ontario matters: “So that when he comes to events like this, Matthew can pay attention to what he's doing and enjoy it.”

For Jennifer Chan-Reynolds, the robot challenge was also an opportunity to give both of her autistic sons, Will and Dan, a look at something new in a supportive environment.

“These events are a great opportunity for us to test out different things before we commit,” she said. “So, we've done a few different programs already through Autism Ontario.”

“I like doing this,” says Will, looking up from the robot kit in front of him. “I like robots.”

“This is a good opportunity for them to try it out in a space where there's support,” Jennifer said. “It’s opportunity for them to see if they were interested in learning or delving deeper into certain ones or just getting out of the house for a little bit. But for programs like this with robotics, they're interested in it.”

Jennifer emphasized that these opportunities rely on having an established, accessible foundation: "Autism Ontario provides a good spot for all of us, especially with so many different things happening. It's a really central place to seek out different things that would be helpful."

Autism Ontario volunteer Rebecca Rose, who brings experience from working in Social Education with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, saw the value of that structure firsthand.

“Everyone's really engaged and loving it,” Rebecca observed. “A lot of participants turned up, and they're loving the Lego and it's very engaging. “It's nice when you get involved in certain activities and they make progress. it's a beautiful feeling.”

Korrine Ng, Co-Captain of the Norman Bethune Robotics Team, watched with satisfaction as team members worked alongside the participants. “It's very good. The kids are really respectful. And it's honestly a fun time.”

Korrine explained that her team makes a point of reaching out to groups who might normally not have access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) technologies like robotics, leading them to partner directly with Autism Ontario to make the event possible.