My name is Brendan Hughes. After being perplexed by so many lifelong mysteries, I was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the age of 35. I was appointed to the Board of Directors for OAR with the goal of raising awareness and proceeds for autism. In publishing this blog post, I seek to…
James Meadows is set to take on his third marathon when he crosses the start line of the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 19th, with the RUN FOR AUTISM team. All three marathons he’s run have been with the RUN FOR AUTISM – Houston team. James found OAR while looking for a charity…
April 16th, 2021, was one of the best days of my life. That was the day my then 13-year-old brother, Daniel, told me he loved me for the first time. Although that might not mean much for some people, it was the proudest moment I could have as a big sister. Daniel was diagnosed with…
This fall, we launched an outreach campaign to continue OAR’s goal of supporting the autism community using our Kit for Kids peer education program. We initially set out to teach 30,000 students, and we are pleased to share that we surpassed that target, reaching a total of 41,643 students in grades K-8. Through the Kit…
OAR recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary. At 23, most of us were likely still figuring out who we were and what we wanted to do with our lives. However, OAR’s 23 years represent an incredible body of work: over two decades of funding research and providing free, high-quality resources to the autism community. As many…
In October 2024, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for five applied autism research grants and one autism resource grant. These new grants, totaling $288,930, bring OAR’s total research funding to $5.3 million since 2002. This article is the first of the previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Safe and compassionate anesthesia care for…
“Gotta get up, gotta get going…” This beginning of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh theme song often plays in my head. My response is usually “Ugh, I’m tired and not ready.” It can be hard as an autistic parent to not start the day feeling daunted, but my bright-eyed autistic child is definitely…
“I am the proud mom of a son who is on the Spectrum.” Erinn Hannigan, along with 56 RUN FOR AUTISM athletes, will compete at the 2025 Walt Disney World ® Marathon weekend this January, representing OAR. Her son, Tommy, was diagnosed with autism at age 12. “Without the research that was available, we would…
As we approach the end of another impactful year and OAR’s 23rd anniversary, we want to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together and share some exciting plans for next year. Your support continues to drive OAR’s mission to tackle the real challenges autistic individuals face every day. Whether you’re a donor,…
One of the most overlooked resources for providing effective interventions to your autistic child is already in your home: You. When you use interventions in your everyday parenting routines, you play an active role in your child’s development while building your confidence. Training parents or other caregivers to lead their children’s interventions is an effective…
