Autism Society Minnesota

I went in to look at the items that they have available in the shop because the online shop says that they have additional items available in person. I also wanted to check colors and sizes of some the items.Edit May 24th - they had another event this last weekend May 21st-22nd and they packed up the whole shop again. STOP IT Leave like 2 or 3 of the items you have in stock on display in your office. Or set the shop back up the day that the event is over it shouldnt take you a week and a half to unpack the shop. Im trying to support myself and my kids mental illnessesIt turns out that in the last week of April the shop traveled to an event and they still had all of the items packed up from said event. So i couldnt see anything or buy anything. Which is still weird to me but maybe they dont get too many folks walking in to only look at the shop. I should have called before i drove over there and i think you should too. Because it they dont have an item in stock theyll have to order it anyway. Whether or not the shop is packed up for travel.I was able to speak with the receptionist and one other person and they were both friendly and informative.Oh the office on the main floor 101 seems like a sensory light area to keep folks calm. The shop is in through the east door and up the stairs on the right. There is no wheelchair access to the upper area through the east door.I did not look at the west door to see if wheel chairs could get into the shop floor 102. But the east exterior door said that wheel chair access is from the west door.There are events with AuSM throughout the summer that I will look into.There are restrooms up the stairs on the right then down the hallway on the left.

I used to go here for therapy for several years and they were great and receptive to calls and emails too. Im not sure what has happened over the past few years in particular but they no longer answer the majority of calls and when they do they dont connect you with the person that can help nor do they answer emails anymore either. Its been extremely difficult to set anything up with them anymore and I wish I knew why. Most of the therapists are great. But the lack of communication when youre trying to set anything up is quite terrible.

I had a terrible experience at a different provider prior to being seen here. I was gaslit and told that it was my fault that I was struggling and that there was nothing actually wrong with me.I told Autism Society of Minnesota about this and they were so kind and understanding. They had a long waiting list so I had to wait months to be seen but they did everything they could to get me on the list and communicate with me effectively. Dr. Barbara Luskin was so amazing. She really validated my experiences and was SUPER thorough in her evaluation. The provider at the previous practice barely took 10 minutes with me before blaming me for my struggles - it was the complete opposite with Dr. Luskin. She talked with me for over an HOUR asking me about my entire life details of my child hood etc...As someone who has felt weird and out of place my whole life getting answers from someone who was thorough professional and validating felt like the biggest weight lifted from my shoulders.After the initial evaluation she had me come in with my partner and we were both able to talk about it and how to incorporate my diagnosis into our relationship. We were BOTH given resources for books support groups etc... I loved that she included him in the process too as this has an effect on his life as well.I cant say enough good things about AUSM or Dr. Luskin.They have a long waitlist but its worth it. Promise.

1. Post-pandemic theyve moved their support groups from all virtual for a long time understandable to hybrid understandable and it worked then back to all virtual for the indefinite future what They are horribly regulated groups at this point and they dont serve the social function for the MN Autism community that they used to which is unfortunate. Theres been some other groups popping up luckily though I cant say they are super well-managed at this point and dont necessarily have the infrastructure money or resources AUSM historically has and definitely presently has but I wonder how thats being leveraged right now.2. They are inconsistent with which political or religious topics they allow people to talk about. They say at the beginning of every support group that its not allowed but Im sorry they very much do allow it. And it goes beyond just Autistic people venting about things in their lives when its their turn to talk understandable -- they allow others to pontificate their opinions on solutions to hot button topics then halt others when someone says something the moderator disagrees with its a wide problem but theres one moderator in particular who does it the most who as I know this person means well and Im not about doxxing Ill withhold their name but they know who they are.3. Id also posit that there needs to be some cultural sensitivity training done at AUSM. Autistic people are not just white Christians. At one point they had a special Christian group -- which would be fine if there were special groups for other religions and you cant argue the LGBTQ group justifies the existence of a Christian group when theres plenty of Queer Christians. Im not about the erasure of religiouscultural representation at AUSM and see the value of specialty demographic groups but if theres ONLY a womens group and an LGBTQ group at this point Im Queer and Trans theres other voices being left out and I sort of fail to see their value if its reinforcing exclusionism for an already marginalized general demographic creating highly specific social opportunities for a minority within a minority when itd be better for the entire minority contingent to just come together in the common interest of Autism. Just my take.4. Staff are clearly not well supported and most of the board comprises of autism moms who may not necessarily have Autism but have a loved one who does. This should be led by Autistics.

Do not waste your time trying to reach out for services. They do not care nor return calls. I have called and emailed numerous times over the last three months and they are not returning phone calls or emails. I checked with others on Facebook and I am not the only one this is happening to. They are ignoring people who are reaching out for support. If these people like I am are struggling then how many others have they ignored. I have sent emails and calls to the receptionist as well as others. No one is responding.

Have emailed twice once on July 21 and again October 7. My mom emailed August 26 and didnt get a reply either. Good for diagnosing and I understand its COVID so maybe things are different now but this is a time autistic people need more support not less. I dont understand the point of an online support group when one person emails back saying email this person then that person never replies Why promote it if no one is going to follow up and send a link to join Overall frustrating and I get more support from other online groups. It breaks trust and makes it not feel like a safe place when basic things are not done.Edit the day I posted this I got a reply but they did not answer my specific question of how to join or steps to take. I asked the same question again and got no reply again. Have sent another email.

Beyond being the only good location for autism testing in MN this agency serves no good function for the majority of adults with Autism. I was frequently given misleading false or completely inaccurate information. Sent to other services that either didnt exist or didnt provide the services I was sent there for. Some of their mistakes cost me months of services I needed because of bad advice from this agency.Other then for testing purposes I wouldnt recommend anyone use this resource.

I recently moved to Minnesota and am so thrilled to have AuSM as a reliable resource The staff are extremely friendly helpful and can answer pretty much any question related to Autism.

As a man with Aspergers and excellent qualifications to become a receptionist for this organization I was horrified at how rudely I was treated by the petulant staff CEO Jonah Weinberg included. If they made me feel unwelcome as a prospective employee I shudder to think how they must treat their clients many of whom have more severe cases of AS and autism than myself. Perhaps me being so well-versed in this handicap and capable of being a role model for their clients intimidated them All I know is that they gave the job I interviewed for to someone who knew next to nothing about ASautism but was a woman which all the staff is except the CEO and thought her degree in counseling made her more qualified than someone like myself who actually has AS. Pathetic

I have Asperger spectrum disorder diagnosed in 2003 when I was 16. I attend the Autism support group as often as I try. I am quite pleased with the support and advise they give us They are professional kind understanding smart and helpful. Barb Luskin is a wonderful help as well as the rest of the staff. I give this place an A