OAR is currently accepting applications for the 2021 OAR Scholarship Program. Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship until Monday, May 3, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Each offers $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV/5 criteria) pursuing full-time, post-secondary, undergraduate education in the United…
OAR is currently accepting applications for the 2021 Applied Research Competition. Since 2002, OAR has funded over 285 research studies, bringing its funding total to more than $4.2 million. OAR expects to build on this success in 2021, continuing its support of research studies that offer meaningful outcomes to autistic individuals and their families. OAR…
In January, OAR welcomed its first 2021 Hire Autism navigator cohort with a plan to hold additional training sessions quarterly throughout the year. The sign-up for the next navigator training in April was so strong and enthusiastic that the Hire Autism team decided to host an impromptu session last month rather than keep this new…
As many of you know, April is National Autism Awareness Month. Despite the disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, OAR has been working diligently with teachers, parents, and other members of the autism community to gear up to raise awareness, educate others, and increase autism acceptance. What do you have planned for Autism Awareness…
April Autism Awareness Month is the perfect time to foster peer acceptance and inclusion in schools. Widespread misunderstanding of autism is a common issue in schools across the country, which can, in turn, lead to a host of larger discriminatory issues like social isolation and even bullying. Level Up the Lesson Autism Tuned In is an…
It is a grey autumn day in New York City in 2002. We are standing in the waiting room of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Hospital waiting for the results of Josiah’s exploratory procedure. We are accustomed to seeing our son in a hospital setting. He was in the Neonatal Intensive…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for six new applied autism research studies in 2021. These new grants, totaling $240,000, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $4.4 million since 2002. This study is supported by funds from OAR’s Changing Lives Fund. This is the third of six previews to be featured…
In the Marine Corps, you may hear spouses talking about a motto similar to “Semper Fidelis.” “Semper Gumby” translates roughly to “always flexible,” thanks to the 1950s claymation character named Gumby. The ability to adapt and overcome adversity directly correlates with positive outcomes for military families. Executing a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move is…
This blog post has been adapted from OAR’s resource “An Educator’s Guide to Autism”. The right learning environment can make a huge difference to any young learner. But a sensory-friendly environment with minimal distractions can be particularly important for an autistic student, especially if they are joining the general education classroom for the first time. …
When reflecting on my transition to adulthood as an autistic adult, I see a roller coaster of experiences full of many different types of challenges, successes, and growth. In hindsight, there are things wish I would have known when I was a teenager preparing for adulthood, even things I wish I knew when a young…
