A Conversation About Autism Support, Family Trust, and What Comes Next
At MAC Midwest, we believe meaningful autism support starts by listening to families and individuals with lived experience. In a recent episode of Taking Authority Over Autism, our CEO, Chris Bent, joined host Sheletta Brundage — widely known as Minnesota’s Autism Mom — for an honest conversation about what families truly need when navigating autism services.
The episode explores key topics parents and caregivers face every day, including early intervention, trust in autism providers, and the challenges families encounter when teens and young adults age out of traditional services. Chris also shares how MAC Midwest is working to reduce barriers, expand access, and create clearer pathways of support for individuals with autism and their families across Minnesota.
Sheletta and Chris discuss MAC Midwest’s new Youth Advisory Board, an initiative designed to elevate youth voices and ensure individuals with lived experience help shape future autism programs, advocacy efforts, and community supports.
You can listen to the full episode on your preferred platform or read the full transcript below:
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Learn more about Sheletta Brundage and her work
We’re grateful to Sheletta for creating space for thoughtful, family-centered dialogue. Whether you choose to listen or read, we hope this conversation offers clarity, connection, and reassurance for families navigating autism support.
Taking Authority Over Autism – Podcast Transcript
Guests: Sheletta Brundage and Chris Bent
Format: Edited Transcript (Cleaned for Readability)
Sheletta:
Hello everybody, and welcome to Taking Authority Over Autism — the podcast for, by, and about parents, caregivers, and anyone who loves someone diagnosed with autism.
My name is Sheletta Brundage. Most folks call me Minnesota’s Autism Mom — not just because I have kids on the spectrum, but because I’m an advocate for parents raising children with special needs.
As we gear up for 2026, so many of us are thinking about goals — things we’re praying about, hoping for, and working toward. Not just for our families and our children, but for our communities. We want to be part of the solution, not just talking about the problem.
You know me — I’m solution-oriented. When I learn about organizations that are truly trying to support families like ours, I make it a point to connect with them. I want to make sure they’re listening to us, hearing our voices, and understanding our concerns — so all of our kids can do better.
What good does it do if my kids are thriving — driving, talking, going to school, walking home — if I don’t share what I’ve learned with other families? I like to joke that my kids went from not talking to talking back. I used to wonder if they could hear me. Now I know they can — they just don’t do what I tell them to do.
But this work is about sharing resources so we can all celebrate progress together.
So if you have not connected with MAC Midwest — Minnesota Autism Center Midwest — you need to. They have a brand-new CEO, and guess what? She’s on the show today.
Y’all help me welcome Chris. I am so excited to have you join us on Taking Authority Over Autism.
Chris:
Thank you so much. It’s great to be here with you.
Sheletta:
We’re excited to have you at the helm of MAC Midwest. You’ve been there a few months now — how’s it going? Are they treating you okay?
Chris:
It’s been fabulous. I’ve been here almost ten months, which I can’t believe.
I’ve had the chance to visit all of our centers — about 20 of them — and honestly, when I was interviewing for the role, visiting just one center sealed the deal. The team is amazing, the learners are incredible, and their families are wonderful. I truly feel like I hit the jackpot.
Sheletta:
You’re no stranger to health care. You spent 12 years at Allina as president of their health group, and you’ve been recognized as a Twin Cities Business Notable Hero in Health Care. You’re also president of the Women’s Health Leadership Trust.
Trust is huge in our community. Autism parents — some of us have been taken advantage of by organizations promising to “heal” our kids. We’ve spent money we didn’t have, done GoFundMes, even taken out mortgages because we just wanted our kids to catch up.
So trust matters. It’s critical.
For folks just learning about Minnesota Autism Center, I’ve partnered with you for years. When I launched my son Daniel’s book, we hosted it at one of your centers — 300 families came through, toured the center, got free books, and we had a food truck. That was before your time, girl — about three or four years ago — you missed the fun.
But talk to our listeners. Parents, caregivers, therapists, and teachers looking for real resources — what is MAC Midwest?
Chris:
Absolutely. First, we have an assessment team. If you’re noticing things and just need to talk to someone, we now have a process we call Support Now.
When families reach out, our goal is simple: we’ve got you.
Historically, we’ve had waitlists. While some still exist, we’ve made a big shift. We want to welcome families right away — help you start a path forward instead of waiting in uncertainty.
Most people know us for our centers. We have 20 centers serving learners from 18 months to 21 years old. Some learners attend full-day programs, some half-day. Over time, the goal is success — returning to school, graduating from services, or transitioning to the next step in life. We partner with families through that journey.
But here’s what parents have told me — especially those with kids ages 18 to 21 — when services end, it feels like a cliff.
Sheletta:
Baby… now you’re talking.
Chris:
There are services, but they’re very limited and often have long waitlists. Parents told us they wanted MAC to expand into that transition period.
So that’s what we’re working on — how do we walk with families longer? How do we help navigate what’s available across the metro, northern, and southern regions of the state?
Parents shared that sometimes recommendations didn’t fit their reality or didn’t have availability. So as we head into next year, we’re focused on smoothing that cliff into a clearer path.
Sheletta:
One thing I’m really excited about is your Youth Advisory Board.
Parents are often told what their kids need after brief assessments. But we’re with our kids every day — and when our kids get older, they have voices.
My kids tell me all the time what works and what doesn’t. They want flexibility. They want choices. So tell us about this Youth Advisory Board.
Chris:
We’re launching our first-ever Youth Advisory Board. Applications are open now, and we’ll launch in January 2026.
It’s for youth ages 13 to 18 — toward the later part of our programming — and the goal is to truly hear their voices. We want them to help co-create the next phase of MAC Midwest.
We started by inviting our current families, and now we’ve opened applications more broadly through social media.
This is also a leadership opportunity. I was on a youth advisory board in high school, and it shaped my career. We want to create those same opportunities.
They’ll help shape programming, participate in advocacy with our public affairs team, and yes — we’ll have fun. We even have a fun committee at MAC, because fun matters.
Sheletta:
So how do folks apply?
Chris:
Visit our website — you can search MAC Midwest or go to Minnesota Autism Center. Under News and Events, you’ll find information about the Youth Advisory Board and the application link.
We still have spots available and would love to see more applications.
Sheletta:
How many spots are left, and what’s the time commitment? Because autism parents don’t have a lot of extra time.
Chris:
We have about six spots remaining. It’s inclusive — neurodivergent, neurotypical, or siblings are welcome.
Meetings will be hybrid — hosted in Minnetonka with virtual access statewide. There will be four meetings per year, plus optional activities in between. The total time commitment is about two hours a month.
Sheletta:
These opportunities don’t come often. Nobody listens to our kids enough — and I love that you’re starting here.
Chris:
The goal is simple: listen, collaborate, model inclusion, and let youth voices set the agenda. We want to launch young leaders into the world confident, equipped, and ready to be a spark.
Sheletta:
You’ve been a spark already in your first ten months.
I want folks to go to mnautism.org. You’ll find contact info, locations from the metro to Duluth, videos, success stories — it’s all there.
I don’t let just anybody on this show. Families trust me to share safe, reliable resources. MAC Midwest is a place I trust.
And listen — some of y’all need to dump some money before the end of the year. You can give it to Uncle Sam, or you can give it to MAC Midwest. There’s a donate button right at the top of the homepage.
Your choice.
Chris:
Thank you so much. We appreciate you.
Sheletta:
Thank you for being here. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy New Year 2026. Big things are happening at MAC Midwest, and I’m excited to see what’s next.
Chris:
Thank you so much. Take care.
