In 2016 OAR awarded an applied grant to researchers Anne Roux, M.P.H., M.A., and Paul Shattuck, Ph.D., both from the Life Course Outcomes Program at A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University. They used the grant to study state-level variation in vocational rehabilitation services and employment outcomes for transition-age youth with autism. Their goals were to:…
School is not only the place children go to learn math and reading, among other subjects, it’s also a place where they make friends, often friends whose friendship spans a lifetime. That ability to make friends is a struggle for many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who find it difficult to master the necessary…
OAR is collecting photos from the community for use in the upcoming redesign of its Operation Autism website, which offers support to military families. OAR is looking for both candid and posed photos of parents, self-advocates, children of all ages, siblings, grandparents, friends, and teachers. Photos from military families are especially welcome, but we encourage all…
The next time you’re at the grocery store, spend a few extra minutes in the bread aisle and take note of the seemingly infinite selection. As kids some 50 years ago, our choices were pretty limited: white, cinnamon raisin, rye, and wheat. Each had its own special appeal. White smothered with peanut butter and jelly…
It’s not news to anyone in the autism community that, for many people with autism, finding a job after high school is stacked with obstacles. Project SEARCH is working to eliminate those obstacles. Project SEARCH is an innovative program that provides real-life work experience for people with disabilities. It originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical…
Lindsey Siff and Alyssa Grzesiak recently joined OAR for summer internships. Both will be working at OAR until mid-August. Siff was motivated to do her internship at OAR because several of her family members have been diagnosed with autism. Grzesiak looks forward to expanding her knowledge about autism generally and more specifically about the resources…
Meet Amanda Rioux, OAR’s new Hire Autism manager. She started the job on May 22 and dove right in by meeting one of the successful hires at a business partner site within weeks of being hired. That meeting exemplifies what excites her most about her position: directly connecting individuals with autism to meaningful employment opportunities…
Next month, OAR will award an all-time high of 50 scholarships to students with autism pursuing higher education, an increase of 11 over last year. This year’s awards have been made possible through the continued generosity of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Foundation, increased support from the Schwallie Family Foundation, and the amazing efforts of a…
People often refer to executive function as the “CEO” of the brain because it is what helps us set goals, plan, and get things done. It is a term professionals and lay people have used for years and it’s likely you have used it or heard it used in reference to people with autism, who…
James Taniguchi is a 2016 OAR Scholarship recipient. This is the second post in his series for OAR’s blog. Last week, I finished my 2nd year of college and would like to reflect on my experiences of trying to find a sense of belonging on campus. Using my socio-communication strategies (explained in my last 2 blog…
