On May 14, 2024, Chief Judge Schiltz preliminarily approved a class action settlement between the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and a group of students and/or their guardians represented by Minnesota Disability Law Center regarding compensatory education services for a group of Minnesota students described below: All children…
AuSM-backed legislative wins in 2024 include a bill introducing educators to ableism training, legislation establishing a journey-mapping study on the accessibility of obtaining disability services, and further reform to medical assistance for employed people with disabilities. Here is a summary of legislative progress for Minnesota’s autism community – as well…
Four Minnesota Nonprofits Further Commit to Promoting Safety for Autistic Kids and Support for Families: Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM); Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN); Maangaar Global; and Somali Parents Autism Network (SPAN) Media contacts: AuSM: mmalmberg@ausm.org, 651.337.8732 MAAN: maren.christenseson@gmail.com, 612.470.7003 Maangaar: a.musa@maangaarglobal.org, 469.995.4424…
Photo by Shelia Nelson Calling all artists on the autism spectrum: Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is seeking submissions from autistic artists to feature on our website. If selected, prints of your artwork will be sold through AuSM’s Threadless Shop. Combine your creativity with your generosity – and…
AuSM has published its 2024 Summer Recreation Catalog, with social and recreational opportunities for autistics of all ages, as well as educational programs for families. As much as education is about learning to learn, it’s about learning to socialize – and recess rules the day. Recreation builds relationships when students…
Part two of our popular workshop from last December is on the calendar, with registration now open for Language Development in Neurodivergent and Other Gestalt Language Processors. Join us on March 1 to dive deeper into the use of Natural Language Acquisition supports for students who are gestalt language…
The Kid Experts at Children’s Minnesota are partnering with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN) to provide childhood and COVID-19 vaccines to kids with autism or sensory issues. Kids with neurodivergent diagnoses, extreme needle phobia or high anxiety preventing them from successfully receiving necessary…
Jean Bender’s profound impact on the autism community was heralded by many of her colleagues at AuSM’s annual meeting of its Board of Directors, staff, and community on February 22, 2023. Jean is stepping away from AuSM’s Board after a decade of compassionate service during which she held nearly every…
Jackson is a nonverbal autistic child who in the summer of 2022 became a first-time camper – which also marked the first time he’s been away from family for multiple days. To gather Jackson’s success story, AuSM spoke to his mother, Amber Bluhm, about overcoming her and her husband’s reservations…
The Kid Experts at Children’s Minnesota are partnering with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN) to vaccinate autistic children against COVID-19 and the flu. Trained specialists from AuSM and MAAN will be onsite at Children’s Minnesota’s primary care clinics in St. Paul, Maple Grove, and…