A recent study that adapted Sex Ed for Self-Advocates, OAR’s online guide, for use in a direct-instruction intervention found that participants’ knowledge of interpersonal relationships increased on average between 16% and 20% on pre- and post-intervention measures. Participants also reported the intervention as helpful, with 92% indicating that their knowledge either improved or greatly improved…
With the rising inclusion of autistic students in general education settings, the challenges of managing a classroom can be more complex. An Educator’s Guide to Autism, one of OAR’s Life Journey Through Autism guides, provides educators with a plan for teaching an autistic child in the general elementary classroom setting. Uniquely, this guidebook includes a six-step…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research studies in 2024. These new grants, totaling $297,569, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $5 million since 2002. This article is the last of the previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Suicide and self-harm are serious global…
What do you remember most about your relationship with teachers in kindergarten or the early school grades? Some people have fond memories—learning to read, making new friends, becoming attached to the teacher. Autistic children and other neurodivergent students, however, may have quite different experiences. While the literature based on non-autistic student-teacher relationships has established that…
The funny thing about getting older is that sometimes you don’t realize you’re getting older. Sometimes, it has a funny way of sneaking up on you. Sometimes, you don’t even realize that time is moving at all. I mean, if I’m honest, I’m an almost 40-something-year-old with the mindset of someone in their early 20s.…
Autistic children can unlock a more independent future by focusing on developing crucial skills now. As a parent, educator, or caregiver, it’s your goal to provide the tools and support necessary to help these children thrive in their daily lives. This not only makes routines easier for everyone, but it provides a foundation on which…
Back-to-school season brings the excitement of new beginnings. For parents who have a child entering special education or whose child is starting a new year in special education, it can be stressful as well as exciting. Many teachers, administrators, and school support staff lack the background and training to meet the unique needs of autistic…
“Your child has autism.” These words mark the beginning of a complex and often overwhelming journey for many parents. For me, they were not only a call to understand my son Josiah’s unique needs but also a call to navigate the intricate world of special education (SPED) law. As both a parent of an autistic…
Your child’s individualized education program (IEP) comes with a team of school-based experts, including a special education teacher, school representative (often termed the local educational agency or LEA representative), and in many cases, related service providers, such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Importantly, your child’s IEP team also includes you, the child’s…
In 2020, Sreenidi Bala, a teenager from Farmington, Connecticut, started a passion project that would change the lives of hundreds of autistic students. Four years later, Bala was named the Prudential Emerging Visionaries Employees’ Choice Award winner for her Code for All Minds initiative. The award came with $10,000 she can use to expand her…
