Deciding when and how to disclose autism is complex and personal for each individual with autism and for their parents, particularly when making decisions about school and in the workplace. For this Perspective column, OAR asked three people with autism, Peyton Berardi, Laura Guerro, and Ben VanHook, and three parents, Susan Berardi, Lee Guerro, and…
In this one-year study, “Examining Personal and Environmental Factors Associated with Community Participation for Adults with ASD,” investigators Dara Chan, Sc.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Mark R. Klinger, Ph.D., director of research at the TEACCH Autism…
As a parent, securing the financial future of your child with autism is an important concern. Public benefit programs can help your child pay for the things they need by providing financial assistance, nutritional support, and healthcare after high school. However, securing these benefits can be extremely difficult. Eligibility requirements are complex and confusing, vary…
In this piece, Serena Shim, sister of someone on the spectrum, discusses the novel that caused so much controversy in the autism community. Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a detective story about fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone. It received many awards as well as criticism by the autism…
This blog post has been adapted from “Chapter 6: Life Skills” of OAR’s resource “A Guide for Transition to Adulthood”. Often, the discussion of life skills includes relatively vague, bigger-picture traits, like “focus” or “critical thinking”. While these are certainly important to leading a “successful life” — whatever that may look like for you –…
Autism is a condition with no medically known cause or cure. This leads some parents of children on the spectrum to search for unconventional methods to alleviate its traits, including most recently the false idea that the digestion of bleach and other harmful chemicals will “heal” autism. According to an NBC article on the topic,…
OAR is hosting a free webinar that addresses problem behavior using a successful team approach on Monday, August 12, 2019 at 1 p.m. ET, featuring Jane Barbin, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA. Register now to attend the live, hour-long event, which will include the presentation followed by a brief Q&A session. Parents, other caregivers, clinicians, therapists, and…
Summer is the perfect time to teach your child safety habits that will build a foundation for independent living. It is also an excellent time to revisit and update your family safety, school safety, and crisis plans. Autism presents a range of safety challenges across the lifespan, whether it’s wandering incidents in childhood, cyberbullying during…
In October, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight new applied autism research studies in 2019. These new grants, totaling $228,036, bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.7 million since 2002. This is the seventh of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience…
Public safety organizations and agencies have taken note of and are responding to the rapid rise of autism spectrum diagnoses in the United States. Over the last decade, command-level police leaders, public safety executives, and legislators have expressed an ever-increasing interest in autism training for frontline professionals and positive partnerships within the autism community. For…
