When “The Big Bang Theory” first broke onto the scene, people who learned that I’m autistic would ask, What do you think about Sheldon? Honestly, I became so annoyed by the idea of a comic portrayal of a supposed autistic person that I wouldn’t watch the show, not even to find out whether Sheldon was like me…
The Autism Society Conference is a safe place to be around people who genuinely want the best outcomes for autistic individuals at every stage of their lives. The people who organize it do a great job at being inclusive — all voices are welcome and everyone has an opportunity to be heard. More autistic voices…
I was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 52. I had worked it out well before then! The realization came when my oldest child was diagnosed at age 11. I have a clear memory of being in the car with him as he had the routine post-school meltdown. “I’m a freak,” he cried and…
If you are a parent of a child with autism or a disability, you know the tug-of-war between the school and the parent is real and can be stressful. The IEP meeting every year is something many of us dread. You might attend seminars, ask for ideas in autism groups online, read various tips and tricks, try…
My employer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., faces an immense challenge every single day. We need talented people—especially those with technology expertise—and we need them now. Our competitors in the financial services field are facing the same challenge, but we’re not just competing against them. We’re battling for talent with giant digitally oriented companies, small financial…
In addition to its function as a job board for those on the autism spectrum who are seeking employment, Hire Autism also houses a Resource Center to support its users. The Resource Center provides information for both job-seekers and employers. Businesses posting jobs on the site can view basic information about autism, the interview process,…
In her 2011 OAR-funded study, Hsu-Min Chiang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in autism spectrum disorders in the Teachers College at Columbia University, analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) to identify which factors predict that students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are most likely to be able to find a job after…
OAR invites graduate students to submit research proposals for its annual Graduate Research Grant Program. Since the program was established in 2004, OAR has awarded over $222,800 in grants to fund 127 graduate research studies. Last year, OAR made grants to 11 students with grant awards totaling $20,619. OAR hopes to build on this success in 2018,…
The quickest growing population in the United States has the lowest autism diagnosis rates, according to several studies, and the big question on everyone’s mind is: Why? Well, according to pediatricians across the country, the primary reason for low diagnosis rates in Hispanics is due to the confusion of the questions on the screening questionnaire. The solution presented to this is a…
This piece originally appeared on the Huffington Post and is re-posted here with permission. My oldest son came home one day with an excellent idea. Little did we know how it would shape all our lives to come. In Grade 4, Liam handed me an application to attend Montreal’s Mackay Centre Schoolwhere he, as a typically…
