Everyone in Michigan is touched by autism. At first glance, that might appear to be an overstatement, but with a condition that impacts one in 31 children, it is virtually guaranteed that everyone knows someone, or has interacted with someone, who has autism spectrum disorder.
Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviors that can range from mild to severe, is truly a spectrum that can look very different from one person to another. Yet, it is a lifelong diagnosis that impacts individuals of every race, religion and culture. Autism knows no political or social bounds. And it’s not a partisan issue. Not now, not ever.
Since 2015, both Republican and Democratic legislative majorities, in concert with the governor, have worked together to help fund the MiNavigator program, operated by the nonprofit Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) through a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) grant.
AAoM was founded in 2009 out of a need to address significant service and reimbursement barriers for those with autism and their families. Within three years, AAoM was successful in its advocacy efforts and, as a result, saw laws passed that mandated state-regulated health insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism for children up to age 18. After the legislation was passed in 2012, the MiNavigator program was created to help families navigate our state’s complex systems of care.
Each year, MiNavigator supports about 4,000 families through professional consultation and case management, helping everyone from young families asking where they can go to have their child evaluated for autism to older families looking for housing options for their dependent adult children. MiNavigator comes at no cost to families and connects them to a team of professionals with backgrounds in clinical services, education, vocational rehabilitation and lived autism experience to help identify resources as they navigate what is often an overwhelming and ever-changing lifelong journey.
MiNavigator was staffed by a professional team of eight navigators, five specialists and three outreach coordinators to serve the entire state — until the MDHHS grant that supported the program was eliminated in the most recent state budget. The budget cut has resulted in the layoffs of 18 AAoM staff members, meaning fewer Michigan families will have access to this important service and those that do are now facing significant delays.
Cutting $2 million from MiNavigator is not just a line-item reduction — it’s a direct blow to thousands of Michigan families who depend on these programs every day.
For parents raising a child with autism, access to early answers, navigation services and specialized supports can mean the difference between stability and crisis. Annually, MiNavigator helps up to 4,000 families find care, coordinate therapies and access education and community resources — services that are already stretched thin across our state. Without adequate funding, more parents will be forced to leave the workforce, more children will go without vital therapies and more families will be left to navigate an already complex system on their own.
For many of us, this is personal.
Along with the other members of the bipartisan Michigan Autism Advocates Caucus, we will continue to call upon our legislative colleagues and the governor to restore the $2 million in funding for MiNavigator in 2026 and to renew this valuable service in future budgets.
We must make sure Michigan families who are working hard to support their children and loved ones living with autism spectrum disorder are not left behind by the state.
State Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills, and state Rep. John Fitzgerald, D-Wyoming, serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan Michigan Autism Advocates Caucus. This guest commentary was published in the Nov. 24, 2025 edition of The Detroit News.