In this piece, a self-advocate reflects on how social anxiety and stress can often be a result of underlying issues or worries. I’m not exactly sure why, but recently I’ve noticed that my social skills haven’t been on point. They’ve never been fantastic, however, right now I feel that my interactions have been more bumpy…
The idea of ignoring dysfunctional behaviour was one of the hardest concepts I had to wrap my head around when I first entered the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis. I remember playing peek-a-boo with a client on my first day working in a clinic. When I paused the game to ask his instructor therapist a…
Today’s blog post is written by Garret Mathews, a self-advocate, and includes an excerpt of his two-act play, “Make Me A Perfect (Asperger’s) Match”. There’s this (mostly) cheerful guy named Max, who has Asperger’s. He’d like to go on a date with the (always) overwhelmed Victoria, who also has Asperger’s. Finally, Max summons the courage…
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood can create both anxiety and excitement for young people. For students with autism, anxiety may outweigh excitement as they may face greater challenges than their typical peers in attending college, navigating social situations, or figuring out a potential career path. To help reduce the stress and anxiety that…
My journey to the United Kingdom for graduate school at Oxford University was an ocean away from any of my prior experiences, a forced opening to a new set of environments, people, and cultures. I like routines so moving to a new country was difficult, to say the least. I’d never been anywhere so different…
From May 1 to May 4, 2019, the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting convened in Montreal, Québec with the purpose of supporting aspiring researchers, showcasing autism studies that address the diverse needs of autism, and providing a space for researchers to discuss and collaborate on their research efforts. The four-day conference attracted…
In 2017, OAR launched Hire Autism, its employment initiative focused on helping individuals on the spectrum find jobs. OAR seeks to expand its work in the employment realm by developing an online resource center for individuals on the spectrum, parents, employers, and job coaches/educators. While Hire Autism is currently only available within Northern Virginia, we…
OAR’s most recent webinar, “Social Skills for Adolescents and Adults with ASD: Finding Relevant Targets for Instruction, Using Instructional Strategies that Work, and Balancing Self-Determination with Skill-Building,” is available on OAR’s website. You can view the webinar video (which runs one hour and 15 minutes long) and access the handouts. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D,…
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 sixth of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. School-related issues, from delays in autism diagnosis…
Earlier this year, OAR set outreach goals for the month of April to spread awareness, take action, and increase acceptance of persons with autism. Here is an update on what we have accomplished as of the end of Autism Awareness Month. Goal 1: Educate youth about their peers with autism. OAR’s goal for April was…
