Recently, I added a new job to my professional autism experience: Stepparent of Carmen, a young adult on the spectrum. Although I have always tried to think of autism practically, helping to parent Carmen has helped me to take this practicality to a different level. For example, Carmen’s father and I recently discussed the goals…
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 a preview of one of those six studies. Limited but emerging research on adult outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum…
Autism emerges early in life, typically by age 2, and the most successful interventions begin then. Pre-K settings, therefore, are a frequent site for services. Parents have two main options for their young children with ASD when they are seeking services: public or private schools via an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or private interventions outside…
Being the mom of a very anxious tween with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), I know that days off school, unexpected storms that wipe out power, and holiday breaks can breed anxiety and stress that’ s painfully present! We spent many years with holiday horrors and vacation disasters before we locked down a routine and…
When asked by a playmate, “What is wrong with you?” my daughter simply replied: “There is nothing wrong with me… I am autistic.” As her mother, I see part of my job as helping to ensure that Kitty is a part of the class (not only in elementary school but throughout her life). Although there…
The autism field is filled with articles, websites, books, and testimonials about the potential benefits of various treatments or intervention strategies. From diets to dolphin therapy to discrete trial training, the sheer volume of options along with their purported evidence can be overwhelming. These resources and tips can help families and practitioners navigate those claims…
Surviving the Holidays In November 2003, Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., wrote a holiday survival guide for OARacle readers. Dr. Willey is a speaker and writer on Asperger Syndrome and a researcher who specializes in the fields of psycholinguistics and learning style differences. Her tips included these: Mitigate sensory overload by: Finding out when shopping malls…
Kristen Essex joined OAR at the beginning of October as business manager. She looks forward to working with OAR in “most aspects of the day-to-day management of the organization,” including helping out with grant writing and other fundraising initiatives. She is already at work on ideas for the annual campaign. Essex was previously the publisher…
Being a teenager is not easy, but teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face particularly daunting challenges when it comes to social and communications skills. Elizabeth Laugeson, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,…
In 2012, OAR awarded funding from the J. Ernest Brophy Memorial Fund for Autism at OAR to support a housing research study by John Maltby, M.S., at the Westchester Institute for Human Development Impact. The Institute addresses major social and health issues affecting people with disabilities and vulnerable children and develops and delivers medical, clinical,…
