The pandemic has turned the hiring and working world upside down. Whatever your situation, your workplace is seeing an influx of newbies, and it’s likely that one of those newbies may be autistic. I am autistic, and I’d worked from home since 2018 because I had burned out on trying to manage my autism in…
Motivation and learning to drive go hand in hand. Whether you’re a parent who is hoping to engage their kid in the excitement of learning to drive or an autistic individual who sees driving as a valuable resource but isn’t excited to learn. Motivation is a constant part of the learning to drive experience. It’s…
I have two autistic brothers that I love beyond comprehension. Being their older brother is perhaps the single greatest and rewarding experience that I have in my life. It is a position that I would never change or alter in any capacity, for being their brother is what makes me… well, me. As siblings, we…
Earlier this year, OAR laid out a set of ambitious goals to continue engaging community members in celebration of April’s Autism Acceptance Month. We worked with teachers, parents, clinicians, autistic individuals, employers, and researchers to support their local initiatives and increase autism acceptance. This recap describes what we accomplished in partnership with community supporters like…
Communication is critical in many aspects of daily life to indicate our preferences, needs, and decisions with others. However, not everyone communicates in the same way, so it is important to recognize the usage of alternate forms of communication, including augmentative and alternate communication (AAC), and how best to converse with individuals who may have…
One of the most significant characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a “delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that approximately 40% of autistic children are non-speaking and do not develop sufficient natural speech or writing to meet their daily communication…
A new study finds that global prevalence of autism has risen to 100 in 10,000 (or 1 in 100), up from 62 in 10,000 a decade ago. The study, “Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update,” was published in Autism Research at the beginning of March. The researchers reviewed studies of the prevalence of…
The fourth annual Active for Autism 5K & Kids Dash was another huge success, raising over $53,000 for OAR’s Changing Lives Fund. Throughout Autism Acceptance Month in April, over 250 runners representing four countries, 39 states, Washington D.C., and Guam dedicated their miles to autism research. OAR is grateful to all of the participants, fundraisers,…
In April, OAR teamed up with several researchers to deliver a spring webinar series on community-based participatory research (CBPR). The series featured researchers who conducted studies related to participatory research with autistic adults, healthy relationships on the autism spectrum, and suicide prevention. In highlighting their work, they provided effective strategies for fellow researchers on how…
On May 3, 13 incredible volunteers from across the United States joined Hire Autism staff for the spring Navigator training. They came from various backgrounds and diverse occupations, holding titles such as project manager, program director, peer recovery employment specialist, president, CEO, HR consultant, teacher, and nurse manager. These new navigators will join their peers…
