Greetings from the Policy Committee! We have so much to celebrate from the 2024 legislative session. This year, our Policy Team, in collaboration with community partners, made history by passing legislation that recommends Ableism and Disability Justice training for teachers. This marks the first time the word “Ableism” appears in…
At AuSM, we believe that every autistic individual deserves access to opportunities that empower them to thrive—regardless of financial barriers. Our commitment to accessibility means ensuring that cost is never a hurdle for those who need our services most. This February, we’re launching a fundraising campaign to…
AuSM is excited to share new resources created as part of our Family to Family Grant, supported by the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division. These resources are designed to meet the diverse needs of families in our community, providing culturally relevant, multilingual support for those…
AuSM is thrilled to partner with Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, RT Autism Awareness Foundation, Olmstead Medical Center, Walgreens, and the Multicultural Autism Action Network to provide sensory-friendly vaccine clinics this fall! Saturday November 9th in Rochester (all ages) Partners: Olmstead Medical Center, RT Autism Awareness Foundation…
The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) will host its 7th annual Autistic Community Summit on November 9 at Woodlake Church in Richfield – an event planned by autistics, for autistics, and one of the first events of its kind in the nation. The theme for this year’s Autistic Community…
Puzzle builders and autism community supporters will race the clock and each other at AuSM’s annual Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, a September 28th fundraiser at Mall of America to support the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM). Competing both in-person at MOA and virtually via Zoom, teams will help raise…
Each year, AuSM produces two catalogs to keep our community informed about educational opportunities in the next several months, including classes, workshops, and social and recreation programs. We’re thrilled to share that we’ve just published our 2024-2025 Education Catalog, available here on our website. In this piece you’ll…
Joyner Emerick became the second-ever recipient of the Jean Bender Changemaker Award during AuSM’s 2024 annual meeting of its board of directors and members of the community. Joyner is an AuSM board member and the first openly-autistic member on the school board of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Joyner’s leadership was…
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…