Multicultural Initiatives

The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) received two Innovations Grants from Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to help Somali and multicultural families better understand autism and access services. AuSM will work with two nonprofit partners – Somali Parents Autism Network (SPAN) and Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN) – to help overcome cultural barriers and societal stigma through these respective grant projects:

• Somali American Community Autism Partnership, in partnership with Somali Parents Autism Network (SPAN)
• Toward Inclusion: Integrated Outcomes for People with Disabilities in Multicultural Communities, in partnership with Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN)

These two DHS Innovations Grant initiatives are similar in that AuSM is applying our expertise in outreach, advocacy, and education toward helping both SPAN and MAAN be more effective in helping the families in their communities. Similarly, SPAN and MAAN can leverage their respective community relationships and cultural competencies in reaching families that AuSM may not otherwise find ways to serve and support. Having seen the power of collaboration for more than 50 years in serving Minnesota’s autism community, AuSM believes our partnerships with SPAN and MAAN are win-win opportunities for all of us – especially for the previously-underserved people we can now better support with our partners. AuSM hopes to partner with additional multicultural organizations on new initiatives in the future.

Here is a summary of both organizations, and the work we intend to further through their respective Innovations Grants from DHS.

Somali American Community Autism Partnership (AuSM and SPAN)

The Somali Parent Autism Network (SPAN), in partnership with AuSM, has been funded through an Innovations Grants by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop an improved service delivery for the Somali immigrant families in Minnesota with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), teens, and adults by connecting them to resources and services.

SPAN’s geographic focus is serving people within the Twin Cities metro area, as well as in Rochester, St. Cloud, and Wilmar, and in greater Minnesota with growing Somali American populations.

The project activities are focused on three core initiatives:

• Offering direct culturally competent consultation to Somali families regarding diagnosis, special education, and social services
• More education for parents and providers on how best to support autistic children in the Somali community by building caregiver capacity for broader inclusion and support
• Reducing autism-related stigma in the Somali community through public awareness campaign by educating the public about developmental disabilities and neurodiversity

AuSM shares SPAN’s belief in partnering with others to achieve goals, and that every individual has the right to access information, support, and resources to help with their developmental disabilities. We support SPAN’s vision to create a world where individuals with autism in the Somali community in Minnesota are not stigmatized and are fully embraced, understood, and empowered to reach their full potential.

AuSM works with SPAN to provide resources, educational workshops, and advocacy for Somali families of children with ASD, as well as those outside the Somali community. We collaborate to provide information about inclusive education for special needs students in the Somali community.

AuSM shares SPAN’s commitment to upholding the principles and practices for nonprofit excellence based on the fundamental values of quality, responsibility, and accountability to create inclusive and accessible services and resources for the ASD community.

SPAN’s core functions include:

• Systems navigation: Assisting families with finding and engaging service providers
• Resources connection: Assisting families with finding resources, supports, and services.
• Advocacy: Advocating for families’ rights and service delivery
• Education: Educational workshops, trainings, and informational sessions for families and service providers
• Outreach and engagement: Collaborating with other ASD stakeholders and organizations to create broader and inclusive support and services for families
• Parent networking and support group: Assisting families with networking among themselves and be a support system for each other

AuSM works closely with SPAN to help provide safe, inclusive places for Somali parents and families of children with autism to share information and resources while providing advocacy for the rights of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.

SPAN and AuSM will explore other outreach formats such as Somali TV, mosques and other Somali community venues.

AuSM and SPAN have onboarded and trained staff that will function as the core project team to fulfill grant initiatives. AuSM added a half-time Project Coordinator, and SPAN will add additional support staff.

Toward Inclusion: Integrated Outcomes for People with Disabilities in Multicultural Communities (AuSM and MAAN)

Through an Innovations Grant by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), AuSM is partnering with Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN) to further its mission of transforming and empowering multicultural communities by providing effective support and education for autistic children and their families. The name of this DHS grant is “Toward Inclusion: Integrated Outcomes for People with Disabilities in Multicultural Communities.”

MAAN’s vision is to create a world where autistic individuals from multicultural communities have access to all necessary services to achieve their fullest potential. MAAN’s geographic focus is serving people within the Twin Cities metro area.

Through education, MAAN helps families and service providers understand what autism is and how to create a nurturing and empowering environment for autistic children. Supporting their community, MAAN provides one-on-one and group support for families who have autistic children and are struggling to understand what they should and should not be doing. On the legislative advocacy front, MAAN believes active participation is required to elicit change; MAAN’s leadership actively reviews new and proposed legislation that will affect children in their community to assure their voices are heard.

MAAN’s founders recognize that securing supports and services for children with disabilities is challenging under the best of circumstances – but made more difficult with obstacles such as the language barrier, differences in communication styles, and multicultural disability stigma.

This joint project and grant initiative is a continuation of an existing partnership between MAAN and AuSM to provide innovative solutions for people with disabilities to achieve integrated life outcomes. Our organizations have previously collaborated to connect individuals with disabilities from multicultural communities and their families with resources, educate families on systems navigation, and worked with service providers to improve cultural competency. In the scope of this DHS Innovations Grant, we are adding an innovative element by working with autistic adults to influence multicultural community perceptions around disability.

One of MAAN’s greatest obstacles is the stigma around disability which manifests differently in different communities. For example, there is no word for “autism” in either Somali or Oromo languages.  Rather, the term most used can most accurately be translated as “crazy.” In an environment where neurodevelopmental differences and mental health issues are often considered a taboo subject, caregivers may be reluctant to seek evaluations or diagnoses, let alone be able to advocate for supports and services. In our outreach to autistic adults, we intend to address disability stigma in multicultural communities.

Project elements of this grant will include:

• Continuing the work of providing culturally appropriate support, empowerment, and training to families of children with disabilities through peer-to-peer networks
• Continuing the work of outreach to service providers on the unique challenges of providing services to individuals with disabilities and their families in multicultural communities
• An innovative element of working with autistic adults to address societal views towards disability in multicultural communities

Together, AuSM and MAAN will address social isolation by bringing families and autistic adults together to learn from and support each other, to talk about disability in ways that are intended to de-stigmatize, and by building bridges to the greater disability community. Many of the families we serve had never met another family with children with disabilities prior to joining our support groups, so simply having families meet one another is innovative within these communities. Our shared model is based on the idea that if parents are supported, encouraged, and given the tools they need, then they will be able to better support their autistic children.

AuSM and MAAN have onboarded and trained staff that will function as the core project team to fulfill grant initiatives. AuSM added a half-time Project Coordinator, and MAAN will add additional support staff.

Previous DHS Grant with AuSM Partners SAPA and MAAN

in the fall of 2019, the AuSM announced a partnership with the Somali American Parent Association (SAPA) and the Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN). Fueled by a two-year Minnesota Department of Human Services Innovations Grant, this partnership has focused on supporting the metro area’s multicultural population with autism and similar disabilities.

Together, AuSM, SAPA, and MAAN have reached out to families to provide education about navigation of quality, culturally appropriate services, and supports. Additionally, they’ve offered several events for facilitated participation in community opportunities for inclusive programming.

“The fabric of the autism community is threaded with diversity that is often underserved by programs and services that are designed for a perceived majority,” said Ellie Wilson, AuSM Executive Director. “This project is about deepening meaningful connections with multicultural communities so that we can learn how to better include, serve, and advocate for our whole community, and all who belong to it.”

SAPA feels the outreach afforded by this grant fits well with its mission to reach the Somali community with education and resources that will help all families affected by autism.

Mohamed Mohamud, SAPA Executive Director, said, “Autism touches a great number within the Somali community, and many back home in Somalia didn’t even know autism existed. People didn’t have the opportunity to be educated. This grant empowers them to learn more about autism and their feelings. We really appreciate this kind of collaboration with AuSM and MAAN.”

Fatima Molas, Chairperson of MAAN sees the grant as an opportunity for stronger services through the partnerships. Molas said, “MAAN has been supporting multicultural families with children with disabilities for some time, but the ability to partner with AuSM and SAPA advances our work in ways we would not be able to accomplish alone.”

Our grant partners have increased community participation and engagement through events offering information on home- and community-based services, including employment, education and housing. We’ve also coordinated sensory- and disability-friendly community cultural events to help meet the need for multicultural information and resources to support families affected by autism.

Molas said, “The innovation grant model allows us to expand our work, develop internal capacity, and most importantly, support more families of autistic children in our multicultural communities.”

View the Fasting During Ramadan social narrative created through the grant.

The mission of the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is to enhance the lives of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. AuSM serves Minnesotans, throughout their lives, with a fundamental commitment to advocacy, education, support, collaboration, and community building.

The Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN) vision is to ensure that autistic individuals and their families from multicultural communities have access to all necessary services to achieve their fullest potential and become contributing members of society. Our mission is to transform and empower multicultural communities by providing effective support and education for autistic children and their families.

Somali American Parent Association (SAPA) was created by Mohamed Mohamud, a retired Minneapolis Public Schools teacher who sought out to promote the empowerment of Somali youth, parents, and African communities in Minnesota through a holistic approach to services that include education, community engagement, and advocacy.

SPAN’s vision is to create a world where individuals with autism in the Somali community in Minnesota are not stigmatized and are fully embraced, understood, and empowered to reach their full potential.