Autism Action Partnership (www.autismaction.org), local nonprofit serving the autism community, has been granted a $75,000 sponsorship from Healthy Blue Nebraska, to benefit inclusion and enrichment programs for autistic individuals and families.
“Autism rates continue to rise – both locally and worldwide with now over 2% of the population diagnosed with autism,” said Justin Dougherty, president and CEO of Autism Action Partnership. “We are grateful for the support by Healthy Blue Nebraska in helping to improve the lives of the autism community.”
Healthy Blue Nebraska is dedicated to improving lives, promoting healthier communities and making health care simpler. Autism Action Partnership will use the funds from Healthy Blue Nebraska to support inclusion efforts like A-Team, an after-school social skills group for adolescents on the spectrum, as well as training and consultation work which advances inclusion throughout our community, including employers, local venues, and more.
“With support from Healthy Blue, we’re able to fill a gap that was previously unmet; therefore, positively impacting hundreds of individuals and families through inclusion programming,” said Dougherty. “Our goal is to get to a point where inclusion is the default, rather than the exception to the rule.”
Additionally, Autism Action Partnership is dedicating a portion of this funding toward family-friendly events to help the autism community engage in a safe, sensory-friendly environment. Nearly 3,000 individuals attended Making Memories events in 2022, and several new events are being planned for 2023.
Autism Action Partnership aims to improve the quality of life of persons on the Autism Spectrum and their families though education, advocacy, and support, thereby enabling them to be an integral part of the community. For more information, visit www.autismaction.org.