Michigan autism group rallies to save key program after state slashes $2M

Half of the staff of the Autism Alliance of Michigan have been laid off after lawmakers cut $2 million from a key program
Thousands of families and individuals needing resources to navigate autism are facing delays
The Autism Alliance says it’s hoping for a restoration of funds and is not closing its doors

A Michigan organization serving people with autism and their families is raising money and trying to relaunch a signature program after a “devastating and unexpected” loss of state funds.

The Autism Alliance of Michigan says 18 people have lost their jobs and thousands more are delayed in getting services after the state slashed $2 million for its MINavigator from the budget in October. The program is the heart of the nonprofit organization serving families and individuals navigating the complexities of autism, said alliance CEO Colleen Allen.

“It is devastating for us as an organization to lose half of our staff, but more, for the families we serve,” said Allen. “To take such a direct hit to what is our foundational program, the reason we exist, has been really, really difficult. But we are committed to being here. We are not closing our doors.”

The Autism Alliance is asking supporters on its website to email Michigan lawmakers and ask them to restore the funding. As of Tuesday, nearly 500 people had taken action.

“Every email and phone call matters,” the website says. “We know how much you care about residents with autism and the challenges they face everyday. Your voice is essential to continue the MiNavigator program!”

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It also is trying to move forward with hopes that the funding may be reinstated in a supplemental state budget addition by January. It is currently operating the program with a staff of four people.

MiNavigator is a statewide service that provides resources and guidance to people of all ages on a host of issues related to autism such as insurance coverage, school responsibilities, job possibilities or how aging caregivers can find a residence where their loved ones with autism can live once they are gone.

The navigator service is not staffed by parents or volunteers but by professionals with degrees ranging from social work to special education to vocational rehabilitation. It is unlike any other program across the country, Allen said.

The program serves 4,000 people annually and more than 20,000 since it began in 2015 and was the reason the Autism Alliance of Michigan was founded, Allen said.

‘We are despondent’

Meanwhile, state Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, wrote on her Facebook page last month that most lawmakers were not aware that the funding for the alliance had been removed until after they voted on the budget.

“And we are despondent,” Breen wrote. “Many of us have close family members affected, and the navigators are essential. From getting kids the help they need in school, to finding the right medical professionals, to understanding career and vocational options – these navigators make all the difference. Across the aisle, across the chambers, and with help from Autism Alliance of Michigan, [former Lt. Gov.] Brian Calley, and more – we will do all we can to help our family and friends on the spectrum and restore funding.”

Breen, who could not be reached on Tuesday, posted the comment on Oct. 6, along with a published report that the funding was cut amid lobbying for more funding for roads, championed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“The governor included funding for the Autism Alliance in her executive recommendation this year and would support restoring the funding,” Robert Leddy, spokesman for Whitmer, said Tuesday.

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition that may affect how people communicate, behave and learn. It is one of top disabilities faced by Michigan residents and it continues to grow, Allen said.

The loss of the state funding for MiNavigator comes amid an increased national focus on autism, driven in part by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has linked the condition to vaccines and most recently to Tylenol, views that have been widely debunked by medical professionals.

Michigan began providing $500,000 in funding to the Autism Alliance a decade ago for MiNavigator. It later increased to $1 million annually, then to $2 million annually for the past two years, Allen said. It was the largest source of funding that supported the largest team in the organization with an annual budget ranging between $4.5 million and $5 million.

Last month was the second time that the alliance has been faced with a funding cut for MiNavigator.

In 2019, the expenditure for the program was eliminated from the budget but later reinstated.

Exactly why the Legislature cut the funding during an “11th hour” of this year’s budget negotiations is not clear to Allen, who has spoken with many lawmakers.

“It is a direct programmatic funding source that is our touchpoint statewide with not just families, but autistic adults, providers, educations, professionals,” said Heather Eckner, director of statewide education at the Autism Alliance of Michigan. “If you think of a concentric circle that surrounds anyone who’s autistic, we field all of that.”