This year, OAR received more applications for the Schwallie Family Scholarship Competition than ever before. Postsecondary education is becoming a common goal for students with autism and research is beginning to pay attention to this topic. A new research study, Predictive Factors of Participation in Postsecondary Education for High School Leavers with Autism, looks at…
Lisa Savo is a school social worker currently serving in Pinellas County Schools, where she has worked for the past eight years. As the social work department’s autism spectrum disorders (ASD) specialist, she works directly with the ASD Student Support & Interventions School Team (ASSIST) providing trainings and professional development to teachers, social workers, and…
After-school activities and programs benefit the academic performance of children without disabilities. While research studies on benefits of after-school programs have not included individuals with autism, it is easy to see how beneficial after-school programs could be for not only increasing academic skills but also generalizing social skills learned in the classroom. After-school care is…
In 2011, OAR’s Scientific Council selected seven applied research projects for funding. This month, we describe a study being conducted by researchers at the Koegel Autism Center at University of California, Santa Barbara. Study Training Paraprofessionals to Provide Appropriate Social Opportunities for Children with ASD Researchers Robert Koegel, PhD, and Lynn Kern Koegel,…
Michelle Rigler is the director of the Disability Resource Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and the co-developer of the MoSAIC Program at UTC for college students on the autism spectrum. For many young adults, starting college is a tremendously exciting time, but the experience can be very different for people on…
A member of OAR’s Scientific Council, Patricia Wright, PhD, MPH, has a passion for education and advocacy and has dedicated her career to ensuring that individuals with autism are fully included in society. As Easter Seals National Director of Autism Services, Dr. Wright leads autism programs for Easter Seals, one of the nation’s largest providers…
Students with autism are educated in a variety of settings including general education (GE) and self-contained (SC) classrooms. In GE placements, students are educated with their peers by a general education teacher. In self-contained settings, students are educated with other students who have a disability by a special education teacher. Researchers Jennifer Kurth, PhD, at…
Michelle Rigler is the director of the Disability Resource Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and the co-developer of the MoSAIC Program at UTC for college students on the autism spectrum. For many young adults, starting college is a tremendously exciting time, but the experience can be very different for people on…
In 2011, OAR’s Scientific Council selected seven applied research projects for funding. This month, we describe a study being conducted by researchers at the State University of New York and the Mary Cariola Children’s Center. Study Evaluation of Synchronous Online Parent Skill Training Researcher Marcie Desrochers, Ph.D., BCBA-D, SUNY-Brockport, N.Y., and Erin DiCesare, Mary…
Middle school is a socially challenging time for most students, especially those with autism. With about 35 percent of middle school students with autism educated in general education settings, typically developing peers should have some knowledge of this disability. In their research study, “Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Autism,” Jonathan M. Campbell, PhD and Brian…
