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ASAN November Newsletter
autumn foliage lining a lake
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Dear friend,

As we move through November, we’re reflecting on our community’s strength, creativity, and persistence. November 13 marked ASAN’s anniversary, and every year, we’re reminded that our work is only possible because of you — self-advocates, organizers, and community members who keep fighting for a world where we all have what we need. Read about what we’ve been up to this month, and how you can get involved!

Our second year of the Teighlor McGee Grassroots Mini Grant Program [autisticadvocacy.org/teighlor-mcgee-grassroots-mini-grants/] was even more competitive than our first. So many people in our community are doing vital work, and find clever, innovative solutions to the challenges we’re facing. We are honored to announce the following four 2025 Teighlor McGee Grassroots Mini Grant recipients. Our Self-advocates Transforming Equitable Policy (STEP) grantees are International Association for Spelling as Communication’s (I-ASC) Spellers and Allies Advocacy Network and Yingya Vang. Our Affiliates in Action (AiA) grantees are Coalición Neurodivergente Peruana and Neurodivergent Infinity Network of Educators. Congratulations to this year’s grant recipients! They are doing important work in our community, and we are so excited to see everything they’re able to do.

This month, the Trump administration announced plans to proceed with its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. The Department of Education is the part of the U.S. government in charge of schools. The Department of Education has different parts that do different things. To learn more about the parts of the Department of Education that work on special education, you can read this Plain Language Roundup [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/plain-language-roundup-disabled-students-are-worth-protecting/]. On November 18, the White House said it would move some offices out of the Department of Education. This will hurt students. You can check out our formal and plain language statements on this to learn more and see what you can do to take action here [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/what-is-happening-at-the-department-of-education/]. You can also tell Congress that RFK Jr. and HHS are bad for students with disabilities with our action alert here [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/tell-congress-rfk-and-hhs-are-bad-for-students-with-disabilities/].

Also this month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) changed a page on their website. The page was about autism. Some people say that vaccines cause autism, but this is not true [autisticadvocacy.org/resources/covid-pl/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-13]. The CDC’s web page used to be about how vaccines do not cause autism. This month, they changed it. Now, the web page says that vaccines might cause autism. It says that there is some proof that vaccines might cause autism. It says that people in charge of public health have been ignoring this proof. These are lies. Vaccines are really important. When the government says that vaccines might cause autism, it makes people scared. We have already seen [www.kff.org/medicaid/kindergarten-routine-vaccination-rates-continue-to-decline/] that since HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. started working in the government, fewer parents are giving their children vaccines. Science has already shown over and over again that vaccines do not cause autism [www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2025/statement-by-aap-president-susan-j.-kressly-md-faap-on-changes-to-cdcs-website-on-autism]. The CDC has broken our trust. The only way to fix it is to fire Secretary Kennedy and Acting Director O’Neill from their jobs. If the President won’t do that, Congress should. Read our full statement here [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/kennedys-lies-endanger-public-health-and-the-disabled-community/].

The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy is seeking people of color with disabilities who self-direct their services to participate in a research study on self-direction experiences. The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University [heller.brandeis.edu/lurie/] is conducting a research study on the self-direction of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Self-directing means that the person who needs services decides how and when their services and supports will be provided and who will provide them. Are you a person of color with a disability who hires your own PCAs or other services and support workers? Do you feel like you have choice and control over your services and that you manage or oversee how your services are provided? Interviews for this study last between 1 and 1.5 hours. During that time, you would discuss your experiences with self-direction. You must be 18 years old or above to participate. To learn more about the study and how to participate, please visit the study website [heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/clec/research/studies/self-direction-people-of-color.html]. You may also email Jennifer Lee-Rambharose at [email protected] [[email protected]]. This Lurie Institute research study is funded by National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

We have a chance to make disabled voices heard. In December, the Senate Special Committee on Aging is having a hearing. The hearing is about helping people with disabilities be part of their communities. That means getting the services and supports that help disabled people live, work, and go to school alongside people without disabilities. To get ready for the hearing, people who work for Senators on the Committee are collecting stories from people with disabilities. You can use our tool to share your story [secure.everyaction.com/y2OHTlGLrEersNcxyCjn8Q2]! These stories will help Senators understand why services that help us be independent are important. Your story could help Senators make important policy choices. The form will close at 11:59PM ET on December 7th, 2025. That means you can not submit a story for the hearing after that time. Make sure disabled voices are heard — share your story today [secure.everyaction.com/y2OHTlGLrEersNcxyCjn8Q2]!

We also lost our friend Alice Wong [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/mourning-alice-wong/] on November 14, 2025. We are proud to call her an ally and a friend. And while we mourn her passing, we want to uplift her work and her own words too. Alice was a powerhouse — her impact on the world, on disability justice, on so many of us at ASAN, cannot be overstated. We will keep fighting for our community, and for the world Alice fought for, in every way we can. We hope you will too. Protect, love, and care for one another — wear a mask, protect the most vulnerable of us, and keep fighting against a world that tells us we are not worth fighting for. 

As we move through this month, we recognize and honor the holidays, celebrations, and important events that hold meaning for our community and beyond.

* All Saints Day
* All Souls’ Day
* Guru Nanak Gurpurab
* First Sunday of Advent
* Día de Muertos

This month brought big challenges and powerful reminders of why our movement exists. As we close out November, we’re holding onto that grief, determination, and care all at once. And as we move into the end of the year, we hope you’ll keep standing with us. Your support keeps our community strong, helps us push back against harmful policies, and sustains our work. Thank you for being with us [secure.everyaction.com/5_wr7qBLwUCxhMQfEOSm6Q2] — this month and every month.

With warm wishes,
The Team at ASAN

* ASAN commented [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/asan-comment-on-fda-petition-to-add-autism-warning-to-tylenol/] on the FDA petition to add autism warning to Tylenol.
* We signed onto a letter about DOL-ETA funding for the Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) for FY26.
* ASAN endorsed Representative Bonamici's Bill of Rights for Parents and Students.
* We signed onto a letter from Advocates for Trans Equality, the National Women’s Law Center, PFLAG National, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Trevor Project, ACLU, Council for Global Equality, interACT, Equality Federation, and others urging congress to protect trans' rights.
* ASAN signed onto a letter calling on the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to renew all existing Continuum of Care contracts for the next year.
* We signed on to a letter condemning the dismantling of the Department of Education (ED).
* ASAN signed onto a letter from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) about the changes to the CDC’s website in regard to autism and vaccines.
* As a part of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities, we signed onto a letter [www.c-c-d.org/fichiers/CCD-Statement-on-Transfer-of-ED-programs-to-Other-Agencies_Final2.pdf] opposing the illegal transferring of authority from ED to other federal agencies.
* We signed onto a letter in support of funding for NIOSH and OSHA in FY26.


autisticadvocacy.org/donate [autisticadvocacy.org/donate]

autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/what-is-happening-at-the-department-of-education/ [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/what-is-happening-at-the-department-of-education/] What is happening at the Department of Education? [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/what-is-happening-at-the-department-of-education/]

autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/tell-congress-rfk-and-hhs-are-bad-for-students-with-disabilities/ [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/tell-congress-rfk-and-hhs-are-bad-for-students-with-disabilities/] Tell Congress: RFK Jr. and HHS Are Bad For Students With Disabilities! [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/tell-congress-rfk-and-hhs-are-bad-for-students-with-disabilities/]

secure.everyaction.com/y2OHTlGLrEersNcxyCjn8Q2 [secure.everyaction.com/y2OHTlGLrEersNcxyCjn8Q2] Share Your Independent Living Story! [secure.everyaction.com/y2OHTlGLrEersNcxyCjn8Q2]

autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/kennedys-lies-endanger-public-health-and-the-disabled-community/ [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/kennedys-lies-endanger-public-health-and-the-disabled-community/] Kennedy’s lies endanger public health and the disabled community [autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/kennedys-lies-endanger-public-health-and-the-disabled-community/]

Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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