Many students with an educational label of autism do well academically in school and therefore receive minimal supports from special education teachers or therapists. However, these students may be slipping through the cracks when it comes to addressing their real area of need: social-emotional skills. For these students, passing their exams and classes may mask…
The definitions of friendships are as unique and varied as each of us are. For this month’s Perspective, we asked two recipients of OAR scholarships to describe their experience of friendship as new college students. Connor McNally: Taking an Asocial Stance I haven’t really made any friends in college, but since I’m asocial, that’s…
In this original blog post, autism self-advocate Carrie Falcone describes her experiences with bullying and overcoming adversity. When I was three years old, my family learned that I was on the autism spectrum. My parents had taken me to a neurologist because they were concerned. I was their shy and creative daughter who not only…
Set to release this month on Disney+, Pixar’s newest animated short film, “Loop,” has sparked excitement throughout the autism community. According to Pixar, the film’s plot is set to follow a non-verbal girl with autism and a bubbly young boy during a canoeing trip. This news comes after the release of another Pixar short film,…
On December 11, OAR hosted a webinar that highlighted Unstuck and On Target, an executive functioning intervention. The archived webinar is available to watch on OAR’s website. Presented by Drs. Laura Anthony and John Strang, the webinar provided an insightful overview of the research progress conducted on the intervention, the goals and design of the…
OAR is accepting applications for the 2020 OAR Scholarship Program through Monday, May 4, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Hussman Scholarship. Each offers $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV or V criteria) pursuing full-time, post-secondary, undergraduate education in the United States.…
OAR created Hire Autism with the goal of helping individuals with autism find meaningful employment opportunities. Following the completion of its two-year pilot test in Northern Virginia, OAR is ready to expand Hire Autism to all 50 states. Hire Autism supports job seekers through various aspects of the job search process, from career exploration to…
OAR is currently accepting applications for the Graduate Research Grant Program and Applied Research Competition. Since 2002, OAR has funded over 265 research studies, bringing its funding total to more than $4 million. OAR expects to build on this success in 2020, continuing its support of research studies that offer meaningful outcomes to individuals with…
The new year is a great time to update your family, school, and crisis safety plans. Don’t have them? OAR will help you build them from scratch by providing Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide to Safety. Autism presents a range of safety challenges across the lifespan, whether it’s wandering incidents in childhood, cyberbullying during…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for seven new applied autism research studies in 2020. These new grants, totaling $275,000, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $4 million since 2002. This is the first of seven previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Anxiety disorders are prevalent in children…
