When we talk about supporting autistic individuals, we often rely on models and strategies developed in cultural contexts very different from our Arab reality. While these tools may be scientifically sound and effective, their true success emerges only when they are understood and applied in the child’s language, within the family’s culture, and in harmony…
In mid-May, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will provide an additional $144 million to states and districts to use for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs. According to an article on the K-12 Dive website, about $123.6 million will go toward IDEA Part B grants for students ages 3 through 21 and $20.5 million to Part C early…
Each year, OAR lays out ambitious goals for engaging community members in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. Throughout the beginning of this year, OAR staff worked with parents, educators, autism professionals, autistic individuals, and employers to support their local initiatives and promote autism acceptance. Thanks to the dedication of community partners like you, OAR helped foster…
In October 2025, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research grants. These new research grants, totaling $397,372, bring OAR’s total research funding to $5.8 million since 2002. This article is the sixth of the previews in The OARacle this year. In 2022, the prevalence of children with autism was 1 in 31, compared to 1 in…
The following excerpt is shared with the author’s permission from the book What I Mean When I Say I’m Autistic, which is available to borrow from Libby through OAR’s Lending Library as an e-book and an audiobook. There are thousands of us—women who discovered our autism well into adulthood, well past many of the memories it explains. We’re too late in life…
I’ve been supporting autistic adults seeking employment for several years now. One of the questions I get asked the most is: Do I have a chance of being hired if I don’t have work experience on my resume? Now, I could write a whole article on the barriers to obtaining employment that autistic people face. But we all already know that, whether we’ve experienced them ourselves…
“We are people of color, we’re Black, that’s part of our culture…the experience as a Black caregiver, it’s very, very layered.” The caregiver went on to say that the experiences of Black caregivers of autistic children are layered due to intersecting identities led by how they perceive themselves and how they are perceived and treated…
For Latinx families in the United States, healthcare services are not always easy to navigate for reasons beyond mere language barriers. The challenges encountered while pursuing health services for their autistic loved one can escape even the most culturally competent healthcare settings. Susana, the mother of an autistic nonspeaking 6-year-old boy says it best: “When…
In October 2025, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research grants. These new research grants, totaling $397,372, bring OAR’s total research funding to $5.8 million since 2002. This article is the fourth of the previews in The OARacle this year. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a widely-used, evidence-based, cost-effective therapy for…
Diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, are trendy topics in today’s world. So, what do they mean? Diversity, equity, and inclusion are interconnected concepts that aim to ensure fair treatment, representation, and a sense of belonging for all individuals, particularly those historically marginalized. The concept of DEI has roots in social justice movements of the…
