Thanks to your support and the ongoing investment of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division, AuSM’s Family to Family initiative is entering a powerful new chapter. We’ve had amazing success over the last year in meeting our goals of reaching multicultural families that are traditionally…
For many autistic people, masking—hiding or suppressing natural behaviors in order to fit in or avoid judgment—can feel like a necessary survival skill. But it often comes at a high cost, leading to burnout, identity confusion, and disconnection from authentic self-expression. That’s why the Autism Society of Minnesota…
At a time when autistic people are facing cuts to services and growing barriers to inclusion, AuSM’s education programs have never been more essential—or more impactful. This spring, our community came together in record numbers to learn, grow, connect, and reclaim what makes us strong. From our…
We’re excited to announce that AuSM branded merch is available now! Whether you’re looking to show your Minnesota pride, celebrate neurodiversity, or support the autism community in style, we’ve got something for you. Our new collection includes: Apparel featuring the AuSM logo – clean, classic, and…
The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is deeply concerned over the recent announcement by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding the creation of a federal autism registry. While we strongly support rigorous, ethical, and science-based research to better understand autism, the methods proposed in this initiative…
This week, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a series of public comments about autism that were scientifically unfounded, deeply stigmatizing, and harmful to everyone in our autism community. The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) unequivocally rejects Secretary Kennedy’s characterization of autism as a…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released new data on autism prevalence through its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. The report estimates that 1 in 31 eight-year-old children in the United States are identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)—an increase from the previous estimate of…
Earlier this month we introduced you to Eva Erickson, a contestant on season 48 of Survivor. In the most recent episode of this season, Eva takes center stage after she gets overwhelmed during a task and chooses to disclose her autism diagnosis to the rest of the competitors. We had…
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to move beyond awareness and take meaningful action toward inclusion and support for autistic individuals. From Awareness to Acceptance In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly established April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day, which was initially focused on finding…
The Minnesota autism community has a new hometown hero to root for—Eva Erickson, a proud Eagan native, lifelong hockey player, and PhD candidate, who is now making waves on the 48th season of Survivor. But beyond her impressive athletic and academic accomplishments, Eva’s story is one of resilience, determination, and…