The application period for the 2024 OAR Scholarship Program opened on Monday, December 4, 2023, and remains open until Monday, April 22, 2024. Applicants may apply to only one of OAR’s scholarships, which include the Schwallie Family Scholarship, the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship, and the Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color. Each program offers…
The major charity-rating website, GreatNonprofits, has recognized OAR as a “top-rated” nonprofit organization for the 14th year in a row. GreatNonprofits provides a platform for community members to share testimonials about the impact of nonprofit organizations. OAR’s recognition is based on reviews by OAR friends, volunteers, and community partners who provided overwhelmingly positive feedback during this year’s…
OAR has created a way for those who love to stream to combine their favorite creative pursuit with their support for OAR. Through Stream for Autism, you can use your love of gaming, crafting, cooking, music, or another activity to raise awareness and raise funds for OAR. Stream for Autism provides the platform. You provide…
OAR has increased the maximum award for its Applied Research Competition from $40,000 to $50,000. The 2024 Competition will open December 15 for researchers to submit a letter of intent for pilot studies beginning in 2025 with a duration of one to two years. International researchers are eligible to apply. Letters of intent will be…
With 2023 coming to a close, we are reflecting on OAR’s impact over this year. As we prepare to close out another year, we look back on OAR’s impact on the autism community. From the Life Journey Through Autism Series and programs like the Kit for Kids and siblings’ resources to applied research grants, we’ve…
Self-advocacy—the ability to communicate one’s interests, needs, and rights—is a key component in supporting greater independence among autistic people. Advocacy in the workplace is particularly important since autistics can often feel overlooked or under-supported in a neurotypical environment. OAR recently concluded its fall webinar series focused on autism in the workplace. Those webinars and more…
“What are we getting Kelsey this year?” At this point, I can generally get a sense of when my wife will undoubtedly ask me that question around the holidays. It’s a simple question, right? We’re fortunate to come up with a list of family and friends that we purchase gifts for throughout each season. But,…
As the number of autistic students attending college has increased, more colleges have created programs to support them. However, mental health support is often not included as a component of those programs. This is a critical lack since autistic adults face more anxiety than their non-autistic peers. A 2020 study found that 20% of autistic…
When asked to write about my autism advocacy experience, many things came to mind. I have penned articles, been interviewed for podcasts, and presented at conferences. It seemed like I was making a difference—but I never knew for sure. Looking over everything I did to spread autism awareness and acceptance, I found one form of…
Without disability advocacy, the autistic community would not be thriving today. Autistic children would not be able to attend school, “autism” would be too stigmatized to mention, institutions and asylums would be the norm, and conversations about autism in the workplace would be virtually unheard of. The foundational, trailblazing advocacy efforts of early disabled activists…
