FIX THE DAMN SYSTEM: Why Michigan’s Autism Families Don’t Need Another Slogan—They Need a Navigator
For years, Michigan politicians have rallied around one big, punchy promise:
“Fix the damn roads.”
Catchy. Relatable. Easy to visualize.
A bumper-sticker solution to a visible problem.
But here’s the thing no one wants to talk about:
Parents of autistic children in Michigan don’t need smoother asphalt.
They need a system they can actually navigate.
Because while the roads may be full of potholes, the autism services ecosystem in this state is a sinkhole—invisible until you fall through it, and by then, you’re already drowning.
When You’re Parenting a Disabled Child, the Road You Travel Isn’t Concrete—It’s Bureaucracy
Michigan’s autism support landscape is not one system.
It’s twelve systems.
Each with its own rules, referrals, phone numbers, portals, denials, appeals, and “you actually need to call this department instead.”
You don’t get one map.
You get:
one for Medicaid
one for private insurance
one for your PIHP
one for your CMH
one for your hospital system
one for school
one for early intervention
one for respite
one for CLS
one for behavioral health
one for disability services
one for… whatever acronym you stumble into next
It’s like driving through a state where each county uses a different GPS, written in a different language, and none of them have updated since 2012.
And Michigan’s response?
Cut the only statewide navigation tool that actually worked.
AAoM Navigator: The $1M Michigan Can’t Afford to Lose - And Families Can’t Afford to Be Without
For years, the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) ran the single most effective, user-centered navigation tool in the state:
The Navigator Program.
A lifeline.
A real human who would:
understand your county
understand your insurance
understand your child
and guide you through the maze
with actual lived awareness of autism care
It wasn’t just a list.
It was expertise.
It was hope.
And the state funded it.
Until it didn’t.
Michigan cut its $1M support.
One million dollars.
A rounding error in the state budget.
A life raft for families who are drowning.
Meanwhile, autism prevalence keeps climbing.
Needs keep climbing.
Costs keep climbing.
So the math ain’t mathing - unless you assume someone decided families should figure it out themselves.
Let’s Be Blunt: The Roads Got a Slogan. Autism Families Got Shrugs.
If a bridge were collapsing, you’d see it on the news.
If a highway buckled, crews would be on-site within days.
But when Michigan’s autism system collapses?
No press conference.
No infrastructure bill.
No urgency.
No accountability.
Families are left:
navigating outdated websites
calling disconnected numbers
waiting months for evaluations
being bounced between agencies
coordinating care with no coordinator
learning systems the hard way—by living through their failures
All while raising children who need support now, not eventually.
Imagine if the state said:
“We know the road is broken.
We know it’s dangerous.
But we decided not to fix it this year.
Just try a different street. Good luck.”
That’s Michigan autism navigation.