Roughly 40,000 children in Michigan live with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Holiday activities can be overwhelming for many people, but for those with autism or other intellectual and developmental disabilities, the sensory overload can be especially intense.
“He would go in the corner when we would have parties — he’d cover his ears,” said Cathy Blatnik, a board member of the Mid-Michigan Autism Association, referring to her son Dominic, now 21. He lives with autism, ADHD and epilepsy…