AAoM Education Pillar
AAoM’s Education pillar drives initiatives that address systemic barriers to education, focuses on
student-centered advocacy, and educates families on related topics – working towards its goal to make
Michigan a top 10 state in preparing students with autism for the most independent life possible,
through an accessible, high-quality, and inclusive education.
SEE Survey
The Statewide Special Education Experience (SEE) Survey was conducted in 2023 to understand the current state of special education in Michigan from the lived experiences of families and students. The survey findings will inform collective advocacy efforts and drive systems-level change to improve outcomes for students with disabilities in Michigan.
MiPAAC
The Michigan Parent, Advocate & Attorney Coalition (MiPAAC) powered by the Autism Alliance of Michigan is a statewide group focused on student-centered advocacy. MiPAAC aims to educate families of students with disabilities on specific topics relevant to their advocacy efforts.
Special Education Coalition
The Special Education Coalition of Michigan convenes stakeholders from multiple agencies across Michigan to collectively identify priorities to address issues that exist across our special education system.
Special Education Finance Reform: A New Path Toward Equity & Adequacy
The Autism Alliance of Michigan has been engaging with national experts on school finance and special education to look toward a broader vision of system transformation with the aim of increasing high-quality, inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities as well as improving educational outcomes (which is desperately needed in our state). This work will align efforts toward re-imagining how our system serves kids with disabilities Pre-K through post-secondary.
State Complaint Project
The State Complaint Project summarizes data from 825 state complaint reports filed in Michigan across 5 school years. This work aims to aid parents in the state complaint filing process by providing them with a template for use.
A formal state complaint is one method of dispute resolution for parents of IDEA-eligible students. AAoM received 825 state complaint reports across 5 school years. We compiled data from these reports, including data on the issues alleged in the report, findings of noncompliance, and the corrective actions ordered. These findings will inform areas for change in Michigan and will be used to create a parent-friendly template for filing state complaints.