Like many young adults with autism, Cameron Graham’s opportunities to find a rewarding career were extremely limited. Her ability to contribute to her community was not. So her parents, Ellen and Jim Graham, jumped off a cliff. Not literally. Still, when you hear their story, you may think it’s about as close to the reality…
Parents and professionals often contact me looking for help with a young adult with autism who is out of school, looking for work, and ill-prepared to do so. As a parent, I feel their pain. My son, Jeremy, severely impacted by autism, is working towards becoming a happy taxpayer. He isn’t there yet, but he is…
Autism employment initiatives are all around us. And though they are all putting forth tremendous efforts, my two favorites—New York Collaborates for Autism (NYC4A), and the new “Hire Autism” job portal from OAR—are pulling together large amounts of resources to resolve the 75 to 85 percent unemployment rate for adults on the spectrum. But when…
In 2015, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight new applied autism research studies in 2016. These new grants, totaling $229,794, bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.5 million since 2002. This is the fourth of eight previews that will be featured in The OARacle over the next few months. Despite growing recognition…
In 2015, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight new applied autism research studies in 2016. These new grants, totaling $229,794, bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.5 million since 2002. This is the third of eight previews that will be featured in The OARacle over the next few months. Adolescents with autism…
How can awareness drive acceptance and the fullest opportunity for increased quality of life for those affected by autism? This April, we invite you to turn awareness into acceptance by looking through these steps to see which would be a good fit for you and your community. Taken from several past articles written for Autism…
In 1959, a group of parents of high school students with disabilities in Northern Virginia created a nonprofit organization devoted to helping those young people find meaningful employment. In its first year, it employed 26 people. Today, Linden Resources employs and provides job placement for nearly 400 people with intellectual, physical, or mental health disabilities…
In 2015, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for six new applied autism research studies in 2016. These new grants, totaling $179,827, bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.5 million since 2002. This is the second of six previews that will be featured in The OARacle over the next few months. Young adults with…
Expectations for the adult lives of people with disabilities have changed greatly in a relatively short period of time. Until very recently, the norm for people with disabilities after they finished secondary school was to enter sheltered workshops or other limiting programs. More and more today, however, we see youth with disabilities engaged in curricula…
At a recent workshop I led, we had a great discussion on the definition of self-advocacy, practicing a three-step model for determining when advocacy is necessary, the development and implementation of an advocacy plan, and the required disclosure explaining why an accommodation or greater understanding was necessary. We came up with solutions for addressing challenges…
