Maryland unveils 5-year autism plan focusing on safety, education, and inclusive policies
Maryland leaders shared a five-year autism plan for the state during Autism Acceptance Month in April. The plan focuses on education, safety and implementing inclusive policies.
According to Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, the Autism State Plan was developed with the help of Maryland's Strategy and Advisory Stakeholder Group for Autism Related Needs (ASGARN).
The multi-year plan details principles, objectives and strategies to help implement policies that are inclusive to those with autism. The plan will be reviewed and updated every five years.
The goal of the plan is to show Maryland's commitment to helping individuals with autism lead fulfilling lives and reach their full potential, leaders said.
"It is not a disease to be cured; it's a difference to be understood and embraced," Miller said. "Raising autism acceptance is not just about statistics or medical definitions — it's about creating a world that recognizes and celebrates neurodiversity."
Goals of Maryland's 5-year autism plan
Maryland's five-year autism plan details goals in several categories, including education, housing, and safety.
The plan aims to ensure that students with autism get the support they need in school so they can have equal access to education in less restrictive environments.
The plan also aims to increase capacity at colleges and universities in the state to support autistic students through graduation.
To support people with autism in employment opportunities, the state hopes to develop policy recommendations to help improve employment outcomes and expand initiatives that encourage the hiring of autistic people.
State leaders are also aiming to support residents with autism in renting or buying homes by promoting awareness about accessible housing and expanding efforts to educate autistic people about their legal rights and obligations as renters or homeowners.
The plan also details steps the state can take to ensure that people with autism can access transportation to travel independently.
The plan further details ways to ensure that autistic people feel safe during disasters, emergencies or other crisis situations. The state will expand training for first responders to ensure they are aware of autism-related needs.
The state will also take action to ensure that court and correctional officials are trained on providing accommodations for those with developmental disabilities.
The plan also outlines steps the state could take to increase intervention methods for people with autism who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Similarly, the state hopes to increase training for healthcare professionals to ensure they are aware of the needs of those with autism.
Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. on autism
The release of Maryland's autism plan comes after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new effort to study autism.
Kennedy cited a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that showed more than 3% of kids were identified as having autism.
Kennedy has claimed that the U.S. is seeing an "epidemic" of autism, however, experts argue that the increased numbers are due to greater access to autism evaluations.
Other experts say the increase is because the definition of autism has expanded.
"It's a spectrum. It's not just one thing. ... So that's part of it," she said. "We also are being much more aggressive about looking for it — pediatricians, educators," said CBS News medical contributor Dr. Céline Gounder.
