My mom once told me a story about a doctor’s visit, a check-up that I had when I was a young child, in maybe 2001 or 2002. One thing you should know about me as a kid – I was deathly afraid of everyone and everything. I could not look at anything, nor could I…
This blog post has been adapted from “Chapter Two: Individualized Education Programs” of OAR’s resource “Navigating the Special Education System”. One of the first phrases to come to mind when talking about special education is the Individualized Education Program, whose abbreviation, IEP, instantly becomes one of those acronyms that parents remember for life. The IEP…
This school year has created many challenges for parents. Should I send my kids to school? Or let them learn at home virtually? In many cases, families don’t even have choices. For families that include autistic children, the challenges are multiplied. Recent news stories have highlighted one of those challenges: wearing face masks. As noted…
OAR invites graduate students to submit research proposals for its annual Graduate Research Grant Program. OAR accepts proposals from students pursuing graduate studies in the United States and abroad. The maximum award for master’s candidates is $1,000, while doctoral and post-doctoral candidates are eligible for a maximum award of $2,000. Interested students may apply online, and proposals…
OAR has expanded its commitment to peer education by awarding grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support projects that promote autism awareness and acceptance. When children understand autism, they develop better relationships with their peers with the disorder. OAR has helped educate more than 135,000 children through the Kit for Kids Peer Education Program…
In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, OAR teamed up with Danny Combs, president and founder of Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT), to deliver a free webinar event on October 8. During “Autism and the Skilled Trades,” Combs discussed critical topics such as how to help organizations find community partners and scaffold their…
Graphic Design USA recently awarded a 2020 Health and Wellness Design Award to Lisa Cain for her work on Hire Autism’s Job Search Guides. Cain noted that the project was a collaboration with Amanda Rioux, manager of Hire Autism, and Naina Chernoff, Hire Autism associate. The annual awards competition honors graphic excellence in the health…
Job seekers surveyed by Hire Autism overwhelmingly reported that they benefited from the Hire Autism navigators matched to help prepare them for their job searches. That feedback came from a survey OAR recently sent out to solicit feedback from job seekers who have worked with navigators, volunteers trained to help job seekers with resume/cover letter…
Many of OAR’s resources are available in Spanish to support Spanish-speaking families, educators, and clinical professionals within the autism community, including: “What’s Up with Nick?” This colorful, kid-friendly booklet is the story of a new autistic student named Nick, told by one of his neurotypical classmates. The story teaches young children that autistic students may…
Our autistic loved ones have touched our lives in profound ways. Each day, they teach us something new about ourselves. Last month, we asked you, our readers, to share what makes you thankful for the autistic individual(s) in your life. We are grateful for the stories you all shared. We chose to share these because…
