Haley Moss, a Florida native who was first diagnosed with autism at the age of three, has passed the Florida bar exam and become a lawyer at age 24. As an Associated Press article notes, when she was diagnosed, her doctors thought she might never be able to work a minimum wage job or live…
OAR is developing a new resource to help people with autism better understand sexuality and personal relationships. This is an important subject in terms of personal growth, development, and safety, but it can also be a daunting one. We are excited to create a resource on this topic that is specific to the needs of…
OAR is accepting applications for the 2019 OAR Scholarship Program through Monday, May 6, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Hussman Scholarship. Each offers $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV or 5 criteria) pursuing full-time post-secondary, undergraduate education in the…
Have you started fundraising yet? Don’t forget that, in honor of National Autism Awareness Month, OAR is sponsoring a Facebook fundraiser challenge. OAR has partnered with From Maggie, With Love to award a custom-made item to the Facebook fundraiser that raises the most money for OAR during April. At , designer Maggie Cullen creates wooden flower creations…
OAR is currently seeking volunteers to review an updated draft of its guidebook, Life Journey Through Autism: A Parent’s Guide to Research. Research has shown that the earlier a child with autism is diagnosed and begins receiving treatment, the greater the potential for more positive outcomes in life. Thus, the first step in helping these…
On April 14, 2019, OAR will host its first annual Active For Autism 5K. Join us and bring your family and friends to the Potomac Yard Trail in Alexandria, Va. This 5K will help spread autism awareness while raising money to fund life-changing research and provide free resources to families and educators. The family-friendly event…
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when I was a freshman at an arts-based school for students with learning differences, but I was not told about that diagnosis until I was a junior. The same year that I was diagnosed, my mom died of melanoma. She was only in her 50s. It was challenging to…
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 fourth of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. For most adults, including those with autism, sexuality…
In a crowded hall filled with laughing and chatting teenagers devouring pizza, one girl approached me shyly. “You know, I really didn’t want to come to this, but I’ve had so much fun today.” “This” was a self-determination conference, organized by and for students with disabilities in my school system. Starting a club about self-determination…
This piece by Amanda Van Slyke, a self-advocate, was originally posted on The Mighty and is re-posted here with permission. Since before I can remember, I’ve lived with traits I now know are from being neurodiverse: Trouble understanding sarcasm, having a hard time communicating verbally, panicking at a change in plans and becoming irritable from too much…
