MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — The Autism Network of Muskegon County is a local non-profit hoping to grow its membership.
It’s hosting monthly family gatherings and adult meet-ups for people on the autism spectrum and their caregivers.
"It's such a big spectrum of symptoms that some people are impacted already mildly, where they can mask their symptoms pretty well. And you might not even know that they have those difficulties to other people who have pretty significant challenges and might not be able to speak," Beth Sumerix, Autism Network of Muskegon Board Secretary, said.
During the pandemic get togethers were put on pause.
In the last 6 to 9 months, the group has started to ramp things up again.
"We have typically have some snacks and some activities and time to socialize and learn from one another event as well," Sumerix said.
The social gatherings are intended to help autistic individuals make new friends, learn from one another, and share resources.
“As a caregiver, it was really important when I connected with other caregivers, or as I've learned from other autistic adults, just learning more about what autism is, what it means how to handle different situations, and to know some of the local resources and how to navigate those," Sumerix said.
The adult meet-up are at Rake Beer Project in Muskegon the second Sunday of each month.
A family gathering is planned for may at Wesley School.
“I hope you know that we grow, and we have more people joining us and we help as many people as we possibly could," Alan Depoy, an Autism Network of Muskegon member said. "I think this will definitely you know, help people with autism get together and talk about their struggles and be more social and make friends."
You can find updates on the autism network of Muskegon's Facebook page.
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