OAR is proud to announce we have joined forces with Partners in PROMISE (PiP). PiP’s mission is to protect the rights of military children in special education by partnering with military families, military service organizations, and legislators. As a PiP Resource Partner, OAR will offer its resources for military families through PiP to reach even…
Military families face all the emotions and challenges that accompany having a child diagnosed with autism, compounded by the realities of service: war, extended family separation, frequent moves, varying access to specialized healthcare, and other stressors that complicate and often work against effective treatment for children with autism. In response to these challenges, OAR created…
OAR is pleased to share the newly redesigned Operation Autism website in support of military families affected by autism. OAR is committed to supporting military families impacted by autism by providing this updated resource that addresses the many challenges they face: extended family separation, moves, varied access to specialized health care, and more. According to…
Orders and transfers to new duty stations are part of everyday life in the military. Rarely do military families establish roots anywhere before the next set of orders has them planning, packing, and executing a move to another duty station. While moving can be a difficult transition for anyone, it can be especially challenging for…
Change. Every military family will experience it at some point in time when they choose to serve. In fact, it seems to be the only thing a military family can count on as the service member changes positions and moves to another installation. When I sense the edginess and anxiety in the faces of our…
If you are a military family, we don’t need to tell you that military families that have children with disabilities are considered underserved. In fact, says Vicki Farnsworth, assistant director at The Branch, that’s why her organization was established in January 2015. The Branch Military Parent Technical Assistance Center builds the capacity of federal parent…
One of my all-time favorite military leaders is General Colin Powell whose lessons in leadership, selfless service, and diplomacy have helped me navigate our family journey and my own personal journey of work, advocacy, and leadership at our local, state, regional, and national level. Gen. Powell’s principles have resonated deeply with me as I work…
PCS is a common abbreviation this time of year for military families. It stands for permanent change of station, and summer is when most military moves take place. As a result of PCS, military children will move an average of six to nine times until they finish high school. This is three times the national…
“For many families whose child receives a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder, hearing the news can be overwhelming. It’s rewarding for me to be able to help them figure out what the next steps are and connect them to the right services. When they leave feeling like they are on the right track and…
This week, we wanted to share a special opporutnity for military teens with disabilities, including but not limited to autism spectrum disorders. Read below for more information: Join Northeast Passage, an adaptive sports and therapeutic recreation organization, for their second annual Military Teen Winter Adventure Camp. This camp, designed for teens (ages 14-18) with disabilities…
