Dating as an autistic young adult can feel overwhelming. To autistic and queer young adults, it can seem like there is an extra layer of social situations, phrases, and emotions to understand. When I began dating women, I felt as if I was entering a different world. This blog post won’t teach you the basics…
Throughout my life, as far back as I can remember, I was a weird kid who happened to be lucky enough to have been born into a weird family. I love my family and loved my life as a child. We lived in very small towns with lots of forest nearby and I spent a…
The Report on the Condition of Education 2024, recently released by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, found that, in 2023, a record number of students with disabilities were enrolled in an educational institution. As noted in the report, “the number of U.S. students ages 3–21 served under IDEA increased from…
Hire Autism welcomes eight talented volunteers joining Hire Autism as navigators. Congratulations to Lavanya Nayar, Laura Maltz, Kerrie Barry, Meenakshy Kavassery, Tamara Green, Stephanie Sutton, Laila Vasquez, and Alexis Clements! These volunteers come from various personal and professional backgrounds, holding positions such as special education teacher, practice manager, administrative assistant, and trial attorney. Hire Autism…
Back-to-school season brings the excitement of new beginnings. For parents who have a child entering special education or whose child is starting a new year in special education, it can be stressful as well as exciting. Many teachers, administrators, and school support staff lack the background and training to meet the unique needs of autistic…
“Your child has autism.” These words mark the beginning of a complex and often overwhelming journey for many parents. For me, they were not only a call to understand my son Josiah’s unique needs but also a call to navigate the intricate world of special education (SPED) law. As both a parent of an autistic…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research studies in 2024. These new grants, totaling $297,569, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $5 million since 2002. This article is seventh of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. The rise in prevalence of people diagnosed…
Your child’s individualized education program (IEP) comes with a team of school-based experts, including a special education teacher, school representative (often termed the local educational agency or LEA representative), and in many cases, related service providers, such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Importantly, your child’s IEP team also includes you, the child’s…
In 2020, Sreenidi Bala, a teenager from Farmington, Connecticut, started a passion project that would change the lives of hundreds of autistic students. Four years later, Bala was named the Prudential Emerging Visionaries Employees’ Choice Award winner for her Code for All Minds initiative. The award came with $10,000 she can use to expand her…
With summer heat waves upon us and fall marathons on the horizon, RUN FOR AUTISM’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon team members have some tips for beating the heat while logging miles. Runners agree on two main pieces of advice: start early and hydrate. Aaron Siegel, NYC Marathon runner,…
