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MARQUETTE — The Autism Alliance of Michigan announced Monday that it has launched a $1.5 million health and wellness campaign in honor of April being Autism Awareness month.

The campaign is aiming to expand health and wellness opportunities for Michigan residents living with autism. This includes autism diagnosis at an early age, providing inclusive and equitable education opportunities and increasing employment and post-secondary educational opportunities. The AAoM helps to provide consultation services and helps caregivers to advocate for friends, family members and other loved ones who are living with autism.

After two years of pandemic life, nearly every community has been touched by lockdowns, closures of schools and businesses, and the autism community is no different.

“At the onset of the pandemic, we knew that we could not continue to advance our mission of supporting individuals in the autism community without putting their health, first and foremost,” said Colleen Allen, Ph.D., AAoM president and CEO. “That meant we needed to join in statewide advocacy efforts with our ‘alliance’ partners to bring vaccine education, resources, and equitable access to our community. Our Michigan Vaccination Partners group includes: Brain Injury Association of Michigan, Disability Rights Michigan and Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute. Our recommendations are based on the most up-to-date, scientific information supported by sound clinical research.”

Research shows that 1 in every 44 children are diagnosed with autism and there are an estimated 50,000 Michigan residents, over 16,000 of those being children, who are on the autism spectrum. Boys are four-to-five times more likely to be diagnosed than girls, according to estimates.

Those who are on the autism spectrum are at a higher risk of illness, complications from illness, hospitalization from those illnesses and death due to more frequent exposure to viruses and cannot always employ safety measures, according to Allen.

“With autism, communication, social, and/or sensory challenges are typical,” Allen said. “What that means is there is less ability to understand and implement safety precautions in ways those without autism can. For some individuals, wearing a mask is impossible. Others may have difficulty communicating symptoms of illness.”

The AAoM is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the 2012 Autism Insurance Reform legislation. That legislation is “an essential tool in securing health and wellness services for the autism community.” The package featured a mandate for coverage of services which are key for the autism community, such as speech and occupational therapy and applied behavior analysis. Additional legislation came a year later which had a mandate for autism services to be included in the Michigan Medicaid Program.

“At AAoM we are working every day to ensure that the autism community is supported, represented and validated,” Allen said. “We are committed to continuing our work to ensure that everyone has the resources and ability to lead a rich, fulfilling life.”

More information about the AAoM, the work they do and their mission to “lead efforts to raise expectations and expand opportunities for people affected by autism,” visit their website at www.autismallianceofmichigan.org

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.