In 2014, OAR awarded two research scientists, Nicole Matthews, Ph.D., and Christopher Smith, Ph.D., both from the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, a two-year $30,000 grant for their study comparing the effectiveness of a peer-mediated social skills intervention to a traditional one. The intervention they used was the Program for the Education and Enrichment…
Christine Christensen is on the autism spectrum and is a self-advocate. In this blog post, she discusses how being diagnosed with autism changed her, and the early warning signs that showed she has autism. This was originally posted on The Mighty. My previous therapist suggested I go in for autism testing. Being nervous about this,…
Erin Clemens is a self-advocate who has Asperger’s Syndrome. In this post, she writes about how Direct Support Services help her attain the skills she needs to live a happy, successful, and independent life. This was originally posted on The Mighty. I’m on the autism spectrum. Sometimes this means I can use my amazing memory…
Rhi, a self-advocate, discusses being on the spectrum and how that relates to motherhood. She writes how motherhood, especially with children on the spectrum, has changed her for the better. This was originally posted on Rhi’s website. NOTE: Rhi prefers to describe people with autism as “autistic people;” OAR prefers to describe people with ASD as…
In 2016 OAR awarded an applied grant to researchers Anne Roux, M.P.H., M.A., and Paul Shattuck, Ph.D., both from the Life Course Outcomes Program at A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University. They used the grant to study state-level variation in vocational rehabilitation services and employment outcomes for transition-age youth with autism. Their goals were to:…
School is not only the place children go to learn math and reading, among other subjects, it’s also a place where they make friends, often friends whose friendship spans a lifetime. That ability to make friends is a struggle for many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who find it difficult to master the necessary…
The next time you’re at the grocery store, spend a few extra minutes in the bread aisle and take note of the seemingly infinite selection. As kids some 50 years ago, our choices were pretty limited: white, cinnamon raisin, rye, and wheat. Each had its own special appeal. White smothered with peanut butter and jelly…
It’s not news to anyone in the autism community that, for many people with autism, finding a job after high school is stacked with obstacles. Project SEARCH is working to eliminate those obstacles. Project SEARCH is an innovative program that provides real-life work experience for people with disabilities. It originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical…
Lindsey Siff and Alyssa Grzesiak recently joined OAR for summer internships. Both will be working at OAR until mid-August. Siff was motivated to do her internship at OAR because several of her family members have been diagnosed with autism. Grzesiak looks forward to expanding her knowledge about autism generally and more specifically about the resources…
Meet Amanda Rioux, OAR’s new Hire Autism manager. She started the job on May 22 and dove right in by meeting one of the successful hires at a business partner site within weeks of being hired. That meeting exemplifies what excites her most about her position: directly connecting individuals with autism to meaningful employment opportunities…
