OAR’s Board of Directors awarded eight new research grants for the 2023 Applied Research Competition. These new grants, which total $297,569, bring OAR’s all-time total research funding to more than $5 million since 2002. OAR received 138 letters of interest and invited 54 applicants to submit full proposals. From the full proposal submissions, OAR’s reviewers…
OAR’s Kit for Kids peer education program teaches elementary and middle school students about their autistic peers. The Kit’s main component is an illustrated booklet entitled “What’s Up with Nick?” This colorful, kid-friendly booklet tells the story of an autistic student named Nick, as seen through the eyes of a neurotypical peer. The story teaches…
The number of autistic children in general education settings has grown substantially over the past two decades, as noted in a 2016 Education Week article. In the United States, this increase was due in part to the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandated that…
Behavioral intervention for autistic children focuses on building many skills in a short amount of time through individualized programming. That goal requires effective and efficient teaching strategies, such as prompting, which promotes the acquisition and independence of skills. However, not all prompts are effective for all learners. In her OAR-funded 2021 study, “Stimulus Prompts in…
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Whitley With the increased number of individuals diagnosed with autism comes a need for increased understanding and acceptance. In order to create that acceptance, more and more schools are including students with disabilities, including autism, in learning…
The internet connects billions of people around the world, providing information and opportunities to bond with others around shared interests. Just as in your school, place of worship, or with any community group, the internet connects many different kinds of people. For example, there are online communities of teens and adults on the autism spectrum…
Please welcome OAR’s newest employee, Adeline Hahn. Hahn joined the staff as a RUN FOR AUTISM coordinator at the end of September. What she noticed right away was the passion for OAR’s mission that everyone from the staff to the runners has. “I love meeting OAR’s runners and learning why they run. Their stories are…
OCALI honored Mike Maloney, OAR’s former executive director, with the Jon Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award at OCALICON, its premiere autism and disabilities conference, on November 17, 2023. Mike Maloney served as OAR’s executive director from OAR’s founding in 2001 to December 2022. During his 21-year tenure, OAR funded over 308 research grants totaling more than…
With the holidays upon us, many of us are traveling – to get away for a vacation or to visit family members. For autistic people, as well as the parents of autistic children, travel has often been too stressful and overwhelming to consider. Recent news articles have highlighted progress in the travel industry, with airlines,…
2023 was a record-breaking year for the RUN FOR AUTISM program. Thanks to the fundraising efforts and hard-earned miles of 942 runners, walkers, and triathletes, the RUN FOR AUTISM team raised more than $1,060,000, a new OAR fundraising record marking the first time the program has raised over one million dollars. That achievement is even…
