The new constraints to daily routines as a result of COVID-19 have certainly affected everyone, but for children, teens, and young adults on the Autism Spectrum, making adjustments can be particularly challenging. People on the spectrum often rely on predictability and routine to bring about a sense of certainty and safety in their environment. Without…
Being aware of something means “the quality or state of being aware.” It is not active and takes little to no effort. Acceptance, in contrast, requires action—making an effort to understand and approve of another. As noted by Kassiane S., a blog post writer on the ASAN website, “Acceptance of autistic people, like acceptance of…
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 since 2012,…
In celebration of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in April, OAR delivered two free webinar events on the topics of safety and self-determination. For those who missed the live events, the archived video presentation and resources can be accessed on OAR’s webinar page. Next Webinar: Transportation Options Join OAR’s next webinar on September 17 at…
Furloughs and sustained unemployment can offer job seekers some unexpected time to explore new career options that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to research. For interested Hire Autism job seekers, OAR is providing a free career assessment tool that can be used to help focus their efforts on jobs that match their skills…
The fierce competitiveness of the current job market is a reality that all job seekers face. For Hire Autism job seekers, extra support to navigate these times is available thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers. This past spring, a group of six Hire Autism Navigators answered the call to help job seekers across the…
OAR is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 Graduate Research Grants. The program awards up to $1,000 to master’s students and $2,000 to those in doctoral programs to conduct research related to autism. This year, OAR is awarding 12 grants totaling $18,186, including two international grants. These new grants add up to more than…
OAR’s 2018 webinar, Sexuality on the Spectrum: What We Know and What We Don’t Know, explains the current knowledge base around sexuality and relationships and breaks down the current best practices for parents and educators approaching these issues with young people with autism. The webinar presenters were Dr. Peter Gerhardt, the chair of OAR’s Scientific…
Transgender/gender-diverse people experience gender dysphoria, a mismatch between their gender identity and sex assumed at birth. Gender dysphoria occurs frequently with autism. In fact, studies report that as many as 22.5 percent of transgender individuals have existing ASD diagnoses and as many as 15 percent of autistic adults report a transgender identity. Depsite those statistics,…
This month we are featuring a How To that was originally published in The OARacle in September, 2015. As an autistic self-advocate, I consider myself fairly lucky to have been relatively unaffected by bullying for most of my life. However, it is an unfortunate fact that many other autistics are very likely to be affected…
